The Ancient Turk
by Ducky in Spandex
Summary: Destiny weaves an intricate web between a slumgirl, Jenova, the Cetra, AVALANCHE, and ShinRa. Hear the cries of the Planet and advocate its killer. Join Reno of the Turks and a Sephiroth clone on the fight of their lives. Hear the untold story.
1. Catch That Thief!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII. It belongs to SquareEnix. I, however, do own my original characters and plots.

**Author's Note:** Hola, readers! Thanks for coming to read my fanfic. I dearly appreciate it. I would also dearly appreciate reviews. I like to hear your opinions. Plus, it's good motivation to go on. I also like constructive criticism. Oh, and one important thing: this story starts before the events of the game begin. Specifically, about a month before AVALANCHE blow up the first reactor. Well, enough idle banter. Enjoy!

**The Ancient Turk**  
A _Final Fantasy VII _fanfiction  
By Ducky in Spandex  


**Chapter 1: Catch that thief!**

"Hey, you! Curly-top! Get back here!" 

A young woman darted through crowd-infested Wall Market, a ragged bag bulging with apples and bread in her arms. Quickly, she had to get away! Stealing was not a light offense, even if she pilfered only foodstuffs like fruit and bread.

She couldn't slow down. She couldn't stop. The girl knew deep inside that stealing was wrong, but she was on the verge of starvation and off the edge of despair. Theft was a regular habit among the poor in Midgar's dingy slums. But that didn't confirm the 'O.K.'

Nevertheless, even if the young woman was able to escape from the ShinRa's interference, the ones hovering on her level were likely to punish her.

_Keep on running_, she thought. _Don't stop._

The young woman clutched the bag ever closer to her chest, and she bumped and shoved people aside in her wild escape attempt. _Don't look back…_

Eyes lingered on her, from all sides…rapid footsteps pursuing her… She had to get away.

Without thinking, the girl glanced behind her to find the man who owned the little produce-shop chasing after her. Oh, Holy! If he caught up to her, she would face the consequences... 

She gritted her teeth, and still she ran with all the energy she had. She swerved and twisted through the confused crowd, and finally outran her pursuer. She dove into a lone alley without a second thought.

The young woman, paranoid and fearing that her victim still chased her, continued to run down the alley. The colors of the horribly graffitied alley wall rushed by her like a whirling rainbow. The voices still boomed in her head:

_"What's that crazy girl doing, Mommy?"_

_"Hey, catch that thief!"_

_"Shame on her. Now even the ladies are stealing."_

The voices echoed incessantly in her head. And she still ran, blind to her surroundings, until she bumped into something.

Or, rather, some_one_.

"Hey, watch it, woman! Can't ya see I'm trying to smoke?" said an irritated, yet smooth voice.

The girl blinked. As she collided, her bag flew out of her arms, and its contents spilled onto the concrete ground. "Oh!" She gasped, her hands covering her mouth. "I'm sorry!" She flushed and looked up.

A tall man stood before her, with fierce turquoise eyes and fiery-red hair. The cigarette that once dangled from his mouth now lay on the ground, a smoky companion to the apples and loaves of bread. He wore a deep-blue suit and a white shirt carelessly hanging over his waist, with the blazer unbuttoned. Dark glasses were perked up in his messy bangs. Two strange red scars distorted—or to the girl—adorned his pleasing visage.

The man, who looked little older than her, scowled at the young woman. "A perfectly good cigarette totally wasted. Gee, thanks."

The girl's pale, freckled cheeks colored in embarrassment. Quickly she bent down to scoop up her spilled foodstuffs. "I'm sorry, I…" She didn't dare look up at him.

The young woman crawled about on the ground, grabbing the apples and loaves of bread. The man she had bumped into stared down at her a moment before bending down as well. He took some apples and dropped them into the ragged bag, kneeling on the ground.

"Really, I'm very sorry. I didn't mean—"

"Just hush. First you shove me and my cigarette, then you incline me to help pick up your…things," growled the man nastily.

The girl looked up, almost accidentally, to meet his eyes. They gazed into each other's eyes for a long moment. She was somewhat entranced, but she couldn't understand why. His eyes seemed to glow with energy. Tearing her gaze away, she then glanced at his blue suit.

Wait, a blue suit?

"You're a Turk!" breathed the girl, her eyes widening in shock.

Her reaction seemed to surprise the young man; why would she find the fact that he was a Turk so exciting, anyway? She should've been afraid. In any case, he cleared his expression of surprise and smirked smugly. Standing, he shoved a final apple into the bag. "Reno of the Turks. Don't you forget that name, pretty-eyes." 

She blushed and stood, taking the bag graciously from the young Turk and lowering her eyes. "Thank you," she mumbled.

"For what?" inquired Reno. "For helping to pick up your stuff, or for the compliment?" He kept the smirk.

"Both," replied the girl. She kept her eyes lowered, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

"No kiddin'," said the Turk, and he crossed his lithe arms. Leaning on the graffiti-infested wall of the alley, he looked the slum-girl up and down. His gaze fell upon her own again, and he seemed to stare almost curiously, as if her eyes seemed familiar to him. "Well, I don't see gray-green eyes like yours too often, but you'd better not bump into me again when I'm smokin'. I'll get my fellow Turks to gang up on you, curly-sue. You're not a very good thief, either, for running so frantically."

The young woman felt her face grow rather red and hot in embarrassment, especially when she came under his scrutiny as he observed her eyes again. Why did he stare so? He seemed strangely curious. She turned her face away in attempt to break the stare, brushing a curl from her face. "Um, okay..." So, he had known about her acting the thief? "Wait, how did you know I stole those?"

Reno smirked. "I can tell by the way you ran; by your clothes. By the state of your hair," he joked with a mildly serious face. The girl scrunched up her face at this, running a hand through her thick and dirty elbow-length curls. "No kiddin' that you're a mess," he continued, grinning at her reaction, "but you're not so bad. You don't look like you have much money, either. Slum girls like you gotta be tough, whether you like it or not."

She observed him silently with raised eyes for a few long moments, her head slightly tilted. It was interesting to hear Reno's input on young women of her socioeconomic status. "Well, you seem to know a lot about slum-dwellers," said the girl, intrigued. Her embarrassment and shyness began to slowly ebb away. "Slum girls. Sure you weren't one yourself?" She grinned almost shyly.

"Slum-_boy_, maybe," retorted Reno, smirking down at her. "I learned to live the hard way. I guess those tough-guy skills were my ticket into the Turks," he said smugly, winking at the girl. "Didn't catch your name."

She adjusted the bag to her right hand, and cleared her throat. Looking up at Reno, she extended her pale, almost bony left hand hesitantly. "Aphrodite Sorrows."

"Aphrodite, eh?" said Reno with a sly grin. Noticing how she reached out her left hand instead of her right, he raised his dark crimson eyebrows. "A leftie, huh? Nice." He shook the slum-girl's hand. "Pleasure, indeed."

Reno's hand was oddly cool to the touch, but rough with a Turk's years of dirty work. Aphrodite, somewhat suspicious of the Turk's expression, arched an eyebrow. "As am I," she said, and hid her suspicion with a mildly charming smile. Hmm. She had to be careful with a Turk. But she couldn't fear him... She _didn't _fear him... Right?

Reno held Aphrodite's hand long after they shook, but the slum-girl slowly pulled her hand out of his. The young Turk looked slightly put out, but then flipped the unruly bangs of his red hair, closing his eyes. "Aphrodite…" he trailed off wonderingly. "Ain't she…" he opened his eyes, and stared at the girl. "The Goddess of Love?"

Aphrodite raised her eyebrows. "I'm anything _but_ a goddess," she said, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Reno slapped his forehead. "Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love," he explained. "You were probably named after her."

"Oh," Aphrodite smiled meekly. "I didn't know that." Goddess of Love? How extravagant. Too extravagant for her tastes. She would have been content with a generic name like Ann, but no, her parents just had to christen her with a name that was bound to receive teasing from others as a child. "My parents liked exotic names…but they never told me what mine meant. I suppose they thought it was a funny joke to name their children after gods!"

Reno narrowed his eyes at her, as if thinking deeply. He ran a hand through his bangs. "Now that I think about it, you don't sound like you're from around here. You have an accent different from the slum folks here."

Aphrodite began to chew on her lower lip. She lowered her eyes, and turned to look away. An accent, did he say? Oh, no... He noticed! She had always hoped her slight foreign accent would go unnoticed by anyone she might meet. Every time someone commented on her accent, horrid memories rushed back to her. And such was the way of classical conditioning, associating such a comment with unpleasant memories: memories of Nibelheim.

"Aphrodite?" Reno's bewildered voice interrupted the slum-girl's brooding. "Uh, you okay?"

Aphrodite blinked, and looked up at Reno. "Yes. I'm…fine." She sighed. "Why?"

"You look troubled," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Somethin' bothering you?"

She shook her head quickly. "I…should go." Quickly she swiveled around to stride out of the alley, but a rough hand grasped her arm.

"Not so fast, now!" said Reno, and his turquoise eyes lingered on her back. The young woman turned only her head, curious at what he had to say.

"What do you want, Reno?" she asked. She hardly recognized her voice: it sounded lost and distant. Now Reno must have known... He was a Turk; he probably had undertaken missions in Nibelheim in the past, whose residents' accents were similar to her own. But Aphrodite didn't _want_ him to know. She didn't want _anyone _to know, for that matter... She still had a hard time getting over the tragedy sometimes, for it had left scars and marks, both literally and figuratively.

"You didn't even say 'goodbye,'" said Reno. "You pay your respects to a Turk. You don't just go and leave without a word or even thanking me."

"But I _did _thank you," said Aphrodite, sighing in exasperation. She turned again and began to tread away. "'Kay then, goodbye."

"Wait!" called the redhead, striding after her. "Where do you live?"

He sounded almost like a stalker. She always imagined the Turks as persistent, probing people for some reason... Could she trust Reno? Aphrodite gave an inward shrug, shaking her head and deciding to tell him. What harm would it do, anyway? She had nothing that anyone from Shin-Ra could possibly want. She was a lowly slum-rat, and that was all.

"Sector 5," the young woman called over her shoulder. "In a little wooden cottage. Goodbye, now!"

As Aphrodite turned the corner into the now less crowded street, she heard that same, suave voice call, "_Au revoir, fille mignonne!_"

She hadn't the foggiest what language Reno spoke, nor did she have a clue of what he said. Oh, well. She'd leave that exploration for another day.


	2. Down in Flames

** Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII. It belongs to SquareEnix. I, however, do own my original characters and plots.  
** Author's Note:** Thanks for all the reviews, everyone! It gave me an ample boost of morale. I practically threw a party when I saw them. oO This chapter is a little short, and is being used to develop Aphrodite's character a bit more and to divulge an important flashback. It also introduces a secondary character, but I'm not revealing whom yet. Where's the fun in that? XD Anyway, enjoy!

Chapter 2: Down in Flames

"Ares, I'm home!"

Aphrodite locked the front door behind her, and entered the tiny "living room" of their pitiful excuse of a home. She and her older brother lived in a small wooden cottage built in the depths of Sector 5's slums.

The young woman left her ragged bag bursting with apples and bread on the torn, black leather sofa. It was an old piece of trash she and her older brother rescued from the slums' extensive junkyards when they escaped to Midgar five years ago. Nothing in the Sorrows' house was new (as in most slum homes) except for the fresh flowers Aphrodite often brought in from the church or the Gainsborough garden. She always thought the flowers emanated an aura of peace and tranquility; a sense of protection from the hostile world they lived in.

"Ares?" called Aphrodite again. The elder of the two siblings had not answered nor come to greet her. A dark eyebrow quivered. "Ares! Answer me!"

Still no reply.

Aphrodite began to worry. "…Ares…?" she whimpered, and slowly, she soft-shoed to her brother's room. The door was open. She looked into his little room, her hand on the doorknob. Nowhere to be seen. In his place was a small piece of paper, resting peacefully on his twin-sized bed.

"Hm?" she mumbled to herself, picking up the little sheet. A note. Blinking her gray-green eyes, Aphrodite read, "_'Sorry, sis. But I got a call from my boss. Should be back in time for dinner. Go ahead and start it without me. Love, Ares.'_"

She sighed. Again? She should have known! Ares had been visiting his boss due to urgent calls quite frequently lately. Guess now she'd spend what was left of the day alone at home. Damn.

Emitting another sigh, Aphrodite let the note fall, slowly, from her hands.

* * *

"_Mother? Father? Where—?"_

"_No time for that now, sis'! We're gonna be burnt to a crisp if we don't escape!" A twenty-year-old Ares grabbed his sixteen-year-old sister and yanked her out of bed. Everything was glowing fiery shades of red, yellow, and orange as the two siblings scrambled out of the girl's room and into the hallway._

_A younger, more naïve Aphrodite was shocked and bewildered as she and her older brother hotfooted through the hallways of their grand mansion. Flames poured from their parents' room._

"_Oh, no…" she whispered, her gray-green eyes wide with fear and shining with tears. "Are they…?"_

"_I couldn't save them, sister," said Ares, keeping a firm grip on his sister's hand._

_Their parents were gone. And their home? On fire? What exactly was going on? Aphrodite was lost, confused, and terrified at the same time. Everything was a hot blur as they dashed down the giant, spiral staircase. She glanced at the wall, hoping to see the portraits and old photographs of the revered Travere family. Most of the pictures were gone, all burnt to ashes. Hot tears rolled down her smooth, freckled face._

"_Aphrodite! Watch out!" exclaimed Ares. Aphrodite didn't even hear it fall, and before she knew it, she was buried under a large, burning wooden rafter._

"_A-Ares!" called out her choked, terrified voice. She felt the angry flames crackling at her face, gnawing at her silk nightgown… She felt the fire on her skin as the silk easily caught flame… Screams of horror strangled her voice._

"_Shit! Hold on, sis!" Ares's panicked voice sounded distant to Aphrodite as he tried to heave the burning rafter off of her._

"_H-help! I'm burning!" Screams of agony exploded from Aphrodite's mouth, and she shook violently. "Ares! Don't let me die!"_

Don't let me die… 

"_I promise I won't, sis!" Ares, with all his strength, shoved the rafter off his younger sister. Fire burned his skin, but it was ignored. Dozens of splinters pierced Aphrodite's skin, and the girl wailed in pain as Ares heaved her over his shoulder._

"_Put me down, Ares," choked Aphrodite, her breathing labored. Ares got them out, quickly, of their home, and stood—stationary—on the ground outside._

"_I can't, Aphrodite," refused her older brother. "You're too hurt."_

"_Put me down!"_

"_Oh, fine…" Ares reluctantly set his younger sister down on the ground, an arm around her waist to steady her._

_Her eyes had been closed. Slowly, Aphrodite opened them, and lifted her head._

_All of Nibelheim was in flames._

_There was Tifa Lockheart's residence, its pretty walls engulfed in fire. Cloud Strife's house, with its front door open and a ShinRa soldier exiting it in disappointment. But her heart almost stopped when the girl turned to look up at their own home._

_The once grand Travere mansion… Crumbling and falling apart in hell-bound fire. The home of the once wealthy and most noble Travere family. Crumbling. Dying. Burning. Aphrodite watched it all. She watched the mansion burn to ashes before her very eyes._

_There burned Mother and Father as well. And what had become of the servants, her nurse, and Adam the butler? Did they escape? Aphrodite could not bear to speculate as her hometown, Nibelheim, and her home itself went down in flames._

* * *

"NO! NO! NO!" cried the tear-drowned voice of Aphrodite Sorrows, and she clawed at her torn pillow. "NO!" Wails of agony and despair filled the still air of the once silent cottage. 

"Aphrodite!" called Ares as he burst into his sister's tiny room. "Aphrodite! Are you okay?"

Tears stung the young woman's gray-green eyes, and she trembled. "No, no, no…" she sat up, and sobbed remorsefully. The memories…of the fire five years ago… Those memories haunted her. They chased Aphrodite in her dreams—or rather, her nightmares—and even when she was wide awake. Even seeing or using a Fire spell brought back the terrible recollections; or even when someone commented on her accent, like Reno had done earlier that day.

"Aphrodite…" murmured Ares, and he gathered his younger sister in his arms. "Was it that dream again?"

Aphrodite could not speak for the flowing tears. She merely nodded, weeping and trembling.

Ares bit his lower lip, stroking the girl's disheveled curls. Aphrodite felt a teardrop land on her head. Ares wept as well, she noticed. But his tears were soft and silent.

"It's alright, Aphrodite…" whispered her brother into her curls. "It's all over now…it was only a dream… Don't worry, I'm here with you…" valiantly gulping down his tears, Ares softly kissed Aphrodite's head. "I'm here, it's okay…"


	3. Friction

** Disclaimer:**I don't own Final Fantasy VII. It belongs to SquareEnix. I, however, do own my original characters and plots.  
** Author's Note:** Once again, a million thanks to all those who reviewed! Sorry I didn't post this sooner; school and life took over. Alright, this chapter is written in two different characters' points-of-view. It's mildly light-hearted, with its little developing conflicts I think you might hint out. ; In this chapter—as the title suggests—there will be some friction between characters. XD But read on to find out. I hope you like this chapter as much as the others! Thanks, everyone!

**Chapter 3: Friction**

Two days later, Aphrodite sat peacefully at the little kitchen table with Ares. It was breakfast time, but no welcoming sunlight filtered through the windows like it did in Nibelheim. The sun never shone in Midgar. And the sky was never seen below the plate. But this had become usual for the slum-girl, after living in Midgar's slums for nearly five years. She had forgotten what the sky looked like; how the sun's warmth felt on her pale skin.

"Ares, can you please pass the butter?" requested Aphrodite, lifting her butter knife from the tabletop.

"Sure, sis'," said Ares, and he tossed her the stick of butter.

"Careful!" squawked the young woman, barely catching the stick. "That's the only one we have! But thanks," she added, spreading a small portion of butter on two slices of bread. Her half-eaten apple sat peacefully on its floral-printed napkin. Small glasses of water were their beverages. This really was all they could afford; well, except for the bread and apples. Those were the stolen ones. Food was hard to come by in the slums.

"Oh, Ares," spoke up Aphrodite after a sip of her water. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Okay, well…" began the young woman, but she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Aphrodite arched a dark eyebrow. "I'll get that!" she jolted up, dashing for the door.

"Wait, sis'! Let _me _open the door; you don't know who it is!" protested Ares, and he darted towards the door after Aphrodite.

"Nuh! You just think it's your girlfriend or somethin' and you don't want me embarrassing you!" she squealed.

"That makes no sense! Why would Frances come over in the morning, anyway?"

"You tell me! She's _your _girlfriend," laughed Aphrodite as she reached the door first. Without thinking, she opened said door, a wide grin on her freckled face.

"Mornin', Goddess of Love," said the smooth voice of the young red-haired man before her.

Aphrodite reddened instantly, sweat drops glistening on her forehead. She wiped her brow. "R-Reno!" She lowered her eyes quickly in embarrassment. "What are you doing here? And knocking…? Turks aren't supposed to knock. They're supposed to…break down your door or something."

Reno slipped his hands into his coat-pockets, smirking. "Duh, today's Saturday, doofus. I would have come over sooner, but I had work. Since I'm off today, thought I'd pay you a visit. I don't _usually _forget a pretty face."

"Aphrodite, who is this?" spoke up the deep voice of Ares Sorrows behind the young woman.

Aphrodite, in her surprise (and joy, perhaps?), had forgotten that her older brother stood behind her. "Oh!" She still blushed, and she looked back at Ares. "Ares, meet Reno. Reno, meet my brother, Ares. Why don't…you come in, Reno?"

"I don't think so," interjected Ares. He gave the Turk a menacing look.

Reno arched a red eyebrow, and challenged Ares with his equally as intimidating turquoise gaze. "Why not…Ares?"

Aphrodite's eyes widened, and she gulped. Oh, no. _Please, please don't fight… _"Oof…Reno…I'll talk to you later," she mumbled to him, standing on tiptoes.

"I'll see ya t'night," mumbled the Turk to Aphrodite, staring down Ares all the while. An unfriendly, cold look sparkled in his radiant eyes. "I'll take you to the best bar above the plate. Wait for me by the Sector 7 train station at 7:30."

Aphrodite felt the blood rush to her face, but she smiled in such a way that it resembled a smirk. She looked up at Reno under long, dark, and thick eyelashes and nodded. "See you later, then…thanks."

"Don't thank me," whispered the cocky Turk, playfully pulling one of Aphrodite's light ash-brown curls. He let the curl recoil and bounce against her head, framing her face. "Well, goodbye then, Ares." His voice was icy and poisonous. "Pleasure meeting you," his voice then softened as he smiled at Aphrodite—as if to intimidate the slum-girl's brother. "And, _à plus_, Aphrodite."

Aphrodite grinned at the wink hinted towards her as he walked away with his laidback, slouchy stature. She waved, curling her fingers. She closed the door, and turned around to see Ares staring down at her with narrowed eyes.

"You dating someone behind my back, Aphrodite?"

The slum-girl shook her head, her curls flicking about. She arched a dark eyebrow. "No, Ares. Why should it bother you, anyway? He's just…an acquaintance, I think."

Ares furrowed his brow, leading his sister to the beat-up leather sofa. "Sit."

So she sat.

He cleared his throat, and crossed his arms. "Aphrodite, I'm your brother, and you're all I have. I must care for you on behalf of Mother and Father. Now, there are men, sis', that are dangerous. That Reno fellow is one of them. He's a Turk."

"I _know_ he's a Turk, Ares," protested Aphrodite, crossing her arms. "He won't hurt me. I know he won't. I feel it. Ares, I'm twenty-one now, okay? I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't," countered Ares, shaking his head of ash-brown locks. "Midgar's a dangerous place, Aphrodite. It's not like Nibelheim. Whether above or below the plate, danger lurks around every corner. Neither you or I can risk your safety."

Aphrodite was, quite frankly, appalled. She stared up at Ares, her jaw dropping. How dare he treat her like a child! She was sick of it; he wouldn't let her live! She gritted her teeth, and stood up, clenching her fists. "So what then, Ares?! Do you want me to stay in this little cottage for all eternity till I'm a feeble old maid? You don't even _know_ Reno. Nor will you _let _me know him. You treat me as if I were still that naïve little sixteen-year-old girl! I'm not as weak as I used to be, brother. And if you think I'll gladly let you take over my life—which I'm perfectly capable of handling—then you don't know me either, Ares."

And with that, Aphrodite turned heel, bursting out the door.

* * *

"Hey, Reno. You doing anything later? Maybe we can have a couple o' drinks at a local bar." 

The red-haired Turk was silent a moment, stroking the smooth back of his blue cordless phone. He lay, sprawled and lazy, on his luxurious couch, flipping channels on the telly with his other hand. His ponytail was messy and undone, but he ignored it.

"Yep, Rude. Goin' somewhere. With a girl," replied Reno, idly staring at the television. A toothpaste commercial was on, starring a little boy grinning a pearly white smile. He changed the channel, and stopped on a sappy soap opera that failed to capture his interest. Nothing good ever aired on early Saturday evenings. Nearly 6:45.

"Another woman, huh, Reno?" teased the deep voice of Rude the Turk, and Reno heard him snicker. Well, Rude made him sound like a player. Damn right he was. Well… Reno _was _quite the womanizer, but he really specialized in one-night stands, so there wasn't much cheating to do. When was the last time he was in a serious relationship? Ah, that's right. Never.

Reno snorted. "Met her a few days ago. At Wall Market. Kinda shy, methinks, but she warms up eventually. Shrewd little thief, she is. Beautiful eyes."

He could almost hear Rude smirking on the other line. "Slum-girl? C'mon, Reno. You can do better than a poor, homeless rat. Nice looks aren't enough. She should have some kind of intelligence, or cash. Somethin' that really makes her stand out in a crowd."

"She _does _stand out in a crowd, Rude," countered Reno defensively, wrinkling his nose. What did Rude know about women? Hmph. "And she is _not _homeless. I don't think she's stupid, either. Probably just uneducated. Ya know, like I was at some point in time. There's just somethin' about her. I dunno what it is. And I don't think she's from Midgar, 'cause she's got an odd accent."

"What kind of accent?" inquired Rude. Reno rarely made acquaintances with women of his former socioeconomic status down in the slums, so this might have caught the bald Turk's interest.

"I dunno," shrugged Reno. "Like someone from…what's that town? Heimlich?"

"Nibelheim," corrected Rude.

"Nibelheim, whatever," grumbled Reno. "When I commented on her accent, she got all…quiet and distant. And nervous. She started bitin' her fingernails."

"Strange. Funny, 'cause Nibelheim burned down five years ago."

Reno's blue-green eyes widened. "Hey…you're right. I forgot that. Maybe that's why she got all weird. Thanks, Rude."

"Eh, you're welcome." Said Rude awkwardly. "Well then, have fun with that girl. What's her name?"

"Aphrodite. Aphrodite Sorrows," said Reno, and he ran a hand through his fiery-red bangs. "Gotta go now. Don't wanna be late for that train. See ya, Rude."

And with that, Reno hung up. He glanced at the diamond-shaped clock engraved with the red ShinRa logo on the wall. That ugly thing had been a company gift. It was seven o' clock already? Damn! Those trains weren't the fastest; it'd be difficult trying to meet Aphrodite. They lived far apart, separated by giant metal barriers.

Reno hopped up off the couch, and fixed his ponytail before holstering his gun (for safety, of course) and electro-mag rod. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the soap opera on television—which was in the middle of a couple passionately making out—and mashed the "OFF" button on the remote. He shut off the lights, because quite frankly, he didn't want a high electric bill, and with that, he rushed out the door of his large apartment.

* * *

**(A/N: **And there's Chapter 3! I hope you liked it! I'd like to know what you readers think of the story so far. Is there anything you don't like, or anything you'd like to see? Or, perhaps, anything you're curious about, or something that needs to be clarified? Don't be afraid to tell me so with a review. Thank you! -Ducky  



	4. Underneath the Rotting Pizza

**Disclaimer:** Yeah, I know. Gone lazy with the disclaimer. XD Well, I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. It belongs to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, though.

**Author's Note:** Ergh! I'm sorry I couldn't get this in sooner, everyone. I lost the document where I previously kept the chapters for the story and I've had to retype Chapter 4. Plus, life gets in the way, as usual. Anyway, Chapter 4, I think you'll all like. I've found that the first part of this chapter in the church really goes with the song "Missing" by Evanescence…O.o Anyway, chapter 5 will be nice and action-packed… I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading.

  
Chapter 4: Underneath the Rotting Pizza  


Aphrodite lay on the flowerbed of Sector 5's battered church. This decrepit structure always equaled peace and tranquility for her. With a soft sigh, the young woman rolled on her side, stroking the moist petals of a white carnation.

"You like it here, don't you, little flower?" murmured Aphrodite, a remorseful smile on her lips. The thick, disheveled curls of her light ash-brown hair spread round her head like a goddess, a spare tendril or two falling over her face.

Aphrodite had taken refuge in the church after walking out on her brother. She noticed how Ares hadn't bothered to seek her out. "He doesn't care," she whispered to herself, closing her gray-green eyes. A single tear trickled down her left cheek. She had been half-hoping that Ares would come to get her. But he didn't.

"_Don't cry, my child."_

The slum-girl jumped up, eyes darting about the church. She was alone. "What…? Who spoke?"

"_When will you return to us, dear lady?" _Spoke the otherworldly voice again.

Aphrodite chewed on her lower lip, and shuddered. "Who…?" She looked up, eyebrows rising. She placed a hand to her chest, where she felt the voice echoing in her heart. The voice came from within. Was this…?

The young woman stood up, shaking her head. She banished the thought from her mind, and glanced at the watch on her right wrist. "Crap! Seven! I better not be late…" As Aphrodite turned to leave the church, she blinked, and swiveled around again. "Come with me, little flower," she said, picking the white carnation. Delicately she fixed the pretty flower into her messy hair. There. Something to make her look a little less dirty.

* * *

Aphrodite's gray-green eyes searched the Sector 7 train station, and she chewed her lower lip. "Where is he?" 

"Right here," said that familiar, smooth voice as a pair of arms wrapped themselves around Aphrodite's waist from behind.

"Augh!" cried the slum-girl in shock, jumping and instinctively kicking the redhead.

"Ow! Shit, 'Dite, you kick hard!" exclaimed Reno, doubling over in pain. "I was just jokin'. Nice way to say 'hello' by kicking me, huh?"

"Oops!" cried Aphrodite, her freckled cheeks reddening. "I'm sorry, Reno! I thought you were some sicko…"

Reno laughed out loud, flicking the girl's ear. "Dork. Nice flower."

"Thank you," said she, smiling shyly. "Got it from that church in Sector 5."

"Church? You religious?"

Aphrodite shook her head. "No," she replied, tucking a curl behind her ear. "Okay, let's go. Train's here."

As the two made to board the train, Reno cut in front of the slum-girl, and performed a stately bow. "After you, m'lady," said the Turk with a mock British accent—grinning all the while—and then bursting out laughing.

Aphrodite grinned, chortling at Reno. "Stop mocking me," she giggled as they boarded the train. Once they sat, she tugged on his long ponytail.

"Watch the hair!" protested Reno, jumping in his seat. His charming blue-green eyes shot her a dirty look worthy of a Turk, and Aphrodite giggled, flicking his ear.

"Your eyes are so dreamy," said the slum-girl with a mockingly dreamy sigh, pretending to swoon on Reno's shoulder.

She didn't know why, but Aphrodite felt so…euphoric now that Reno was here. Something about him…beckoned her. She didn't say it, but she felt something about Reno. He was a Turk, but strangely, she couldn't see him hurting her. It was her powerful intuition. Or maybe just delirium.

"As are yours, babe," smirked Reno. Playfully he ruffled her curls.

A slight dash of color rushed into Aphrodite's freckled cheeks, and she smiled shyly. She turned slightly to look out the window as the train climbed the tracks up the central support structure, on its way above the plate. Midgar really was very ugly beneath that "rotting pizza." Oh, how she desired to rise above ground, to live under a blue sky…to live in a home twenty times larger than her uncomfortable little cottage in the slums.

Why did Nibelheim have to burn?

Who had done it? And _why_?

"Aphrodite, you okay?" queried Reno, observing the slum-girl's face, which was contorted in both anger and grief.

She looked, blinking at the Turk. "I was just thinking…about life here. In Midgar. In the slums."

"What do you think about it?"

"I hate it," growled Aphrodite, watching the unexciting, depressing scenery all around her. "I hate it so badly. I've been caged here for five years, but it feels like a hundred. I've grown pale from lack of proper nourishment and sunshine."

"Like a dying flower," murmured Reno, his eyes searching her face.

Her gray-green eyes focused completely on the Turk now, and a hollow laugh escaped her mouth. "Nice simile, but I'm no flower. My brother, Ares, and I are oppressed just like most slum-dwellers, and we're struggling to survive. Ares is almost never home because of a job he is paid almost nothing for, and I was fired from my last one. They said I wasn't fit to sell materia. Said I was better at _using _materia. Even resorting to stealing for simple things like food," She closed her eyes, looking away from Reno. "I want out of the slums."

Reno listened to Aphrodite's passionate, but despairing account of her life in the slums. "You know, 'Dite, I understand how you feel."

The young woman opened her eyes, and looked up at him questioningly, tilting her head. "How so?" How could he understand? He was a Turk, and Turks had a lot of money. He was only saying that…

Gazing into her eyes, Reno smiled slightly, as if he truly did know the troubles Aphrodite faced. She found this odd of him, because he was acting serious… "Remember when I said I used to be a slum-boy?"

She nodded.

"I used to live the same way. I really do understand, Aphrodite."

Finally, someone besides the present slum-dwellers who understood! Suddenly a smile broke onto her face, and she nodded at Reno. "I'm glad you understand. I thought…"

"That you were all alone?" he finished the thought for her.

Aphrodite arched a dark eyebrow at Reno, and smirked. "Am I that predictable? Or do we have some kind of intuitive connection in which we can nearly read the other's mind?"

Reno flipped his bangs cockily, smirking as well. "I think the latter, babe."

"Don't call me 'babe!'" scolded the young woman, wrinkling her nose and playfully smacking the Turk on the head. "I will not tolerate common womanizing terms!"

"Care to speak English?" teased Reno.

This reminded Aphrodite of something… "Speaking of languages, what was that thing you said the other day? Oh-vwa, fee minyon?"

Reno stared at the slum-girl for a moment, and burst out laughing. "'_Au revoir, fille mignonne_' means 'Goodbye, pretty girl.'"

"Oh," said Aphrodite. "I see…" She raised her eyebrows. "Subtle!"

* * *

"Hey, barkeep! I'll have some beer," called Reno as he and Aphrodite sat in the counter stools of one of Midgar's best nightclubs, (above the plate that is) Golden Nirvana. Aphrodite knew that the Sector 7 slums had a bar of its own (Tifa's Seventh Heaven), but she appreciated that Reno decided to take her someplace _not _inthe slums. Besides, he had money. And plenty of it. 

She adjusted the white carnation in her hair, smoothing the knee-length gray gown that did nothing for her figure. She didn't have anything pretty to wear (that also apparent by her worn, brown boots), since all of the clothes from her past were lost in Nibelheim's fire. Besides, they wouldn't fit her, anyway. And obviously, she couldn't afford any nice apparel. The stuff she got usually came from the clearance section in Wall Market's clothing store.

"And what will this lovely young lady like to drink?"

Aphrodite looked, staring blankly at the bartender. Did he just call her lovely? Was this man blind? She looked down at the small laminated menu on the counter, and glanced at Reno, who gazed at her expectantly. "O-Oh, I'll just have…um…water."

Both Reno and the bartender stared at her like she had grown an arm on her forehead. "What…?" said the young woman, her gaze switching from one man to the other. She arched an eyebrow.

"Just…water?" Reno inquired finally as the bartender filled a glass with iced water. He stared, dumbfounded.

"Um…I don't drink that much," she explained, scratching her ear.

"You? Don't drink? I thought all slum-people drank," commented the Turk, his eyes widening. "I sure did. They usually drink more than folks up here since they ain't got much in their lives, so it's weird that you don't…"

"It's only sometimes…" said Aphrodite, and she thanked the bartender after he served her water. She sipped it silently for a moment, observing the many people partying away on the dance floor. Odd. She had never seen this before.

The redhead took notice of the young woman's gawking and grinned slyly. "You wanna dance?"

Aphrodite blinked, and gave Reno a look that was blank for only a moment. "Oh, no. Those people dance…weird." An eyebrow rose. "I can only ballroom dance, but that's it…" And then she mentally slapped herself. Wonderful! Now she awoke more memories of Nibelheim! She had learned to ballroom dance as a child in the Travere mansion—her home in the town—and she hadn't danced in those grand, elegant ways in years…

"Ballroom dance? Didn't expect that from you," Reno chugged down his beer, calling for another one immediately.

This caught the slum-girl's attention, and now she stared at the Turk with wide eyes, digressing from the previous subject. "You're…fast."

He winked at Aphrodite as the bartender handed him another beer. He popped off the top, and was about to guzzle this one down too when he noticed the young woman's amazed staring. "Want some? I know you don't drink, but you look particularly invited," he offered, holding the bottle out to her.

She shook her head, waving her hands away. "Oh, no, no. It's just that you drank the first one so fast. You like that stuff, don't you? I can tell."

Reno grinned, nodding his head of wild, long red hair. "No better way to drown your sorrows…"

Aphrodite blinked at the Turk's response while sipping her water, and almost sprayed the liquid at him as she stifled a giggle. She set the glass on the counter. "Sorrows. You want to drown me?"

He stared.

A crimson eyebrow went up in bewilderment, as if he did not understand. But then his eyes widened, and he slapped his forehead. "Oh! That's your last name," he grinned. "Uh-uh, lovely. I wouldn't ever drown you."

They burst out laughing, and Aphrodite had to hold on to Reno for support lest she topple from her stool to the shiny tiled floor. Once the insane giggles subsided, she took a deep breath and straightened. "Reno! Don't call me 'lovely'!" She chided almost playfully, and took another sip of her water. "Don't lie. I'm not lovely."

Reno stared at Aphrodite in disbelief. "But you are! Not only lovely, but also beautiful on the inside as much as out. I know it. Ain't no lie." He chugged down the rest of his second beer and called for a third one before speaking to her again. "C'mon, Aphrodite," he began, facing her in his stool, characteristically flipping his bangs. "I think you're prettier than any woman in here, and I don't give a hell if no one thinks the same. You know it's true."

Aphrodite looked away on purpose, drinking the rest of her water. "Sure you haven't had too many beers?" she joked dryly, setting her empty glass on the counter. She faced Reno, and looked him in the eyes. "C'mon yourself, Reno. You're pretty good-looking yourself, but look at me. I'm a slum-rat, for Nibelheim's sake. You're a Turk. I'm dirty. You're…probably clean. Oh, you know what I mean…"

Reno finished off his third beer, but did not ask for another. "Aphrodite, you don't have to be rich or dress like that Scarlet from ShinRa to be beautiful. You're natural. You don't need to wear fancy clothes or wear makeup. Hell, you don't even have to brush your hair… Nibelheim?" He added that detached question, seemingly realizing her loose use of the town's name.

Her eyes widened. "Nothing."

"No, tell me," he urged, leaning a smidgen closer. Aphrodite wrinkled her nose at the stench of the Turk's breath: a blend of smoke and alcohol. An unpleasant smell. Had he forgotten to use mouthwash? That was something she'd have to teach him to remember… but wait, did _she _have mouthwash? No…she doubted a slum-dweller's breath would smell any better—of course, she didn't smoke or drink…

"Don't wanna talk about it."

"Well, alright then…" said Reno, but he did not move back. "Anyway, see, everyone in this nightclub is even a little rich, but no one's insulted you because of your clothes or anything."

"That's 'cause they don't see me," Aphrodite said matter-of-factly, giving Reno a knowing look. She heard snooty, feminine voices a distance behind her, and glanced over her shoulder at the speakers.

"Ew, Karla, look at that…rat." Said one of the two women who were chatting.

"What an ugly dress. And those boots! And her hair…! Wow, Jackie, I've never seen a more hideous girl. What the hell's she doing here, anyway? Looks like a slum-dweller." Said the other woman, scowling at the slum-girl

Aphrodite and Reno watched from afar as the two snobbish women laughed out loud in their annoying, high-pitched voices as they walked away, the click of stiletto-heels echoing in the young woman's ears. She looked away and lowered her eyes, turning away from the redhead. She folded her hands in her lap, biting her lower lip. Reno had spoken too soon.

The Turk scowled at the haughty women who left, and he leaned ever closer to the slum-girl, brushing his fingertips against her arm. "Ignore those bitches, Aphrodite. They're just tryin' to piss you off. Don't let 'em get to you. You're strong, I know it. Can't let that kind of people mess around. I say they're way below your level."

Aphrodite sighed, and looked up at Reno. He gray-green eyes flickered with the slightest hint of grateful sorrow. "Thanks, Reno. But…" she trailed off, casting about for the right words. "They're right. I _am _a rat."

And with that, she promptly stood up, striding away and out of the nightclub.

"Aphrodite! Wait!" called Reno, and he stood, striding twice as quickly after her. The slum-girl realized that he had forgotten to pay. Oh, well. Free drinks.

The slum-girl burst out the building's double doors, treading away, her boots echoing with a quick beat—like in 2/2 time. She belonged nowhere…as she thought. Nowhere. She slumped against a brick wall, watching wealthy-looking, well-dressed folks laugh as they passed by. A few glanced at her disgustedly, but those looks never evolved to glances once they spoke among themselves, insulting the young woman from afar.

"Damn them," she muttered. "Damn them all to Hell."

"You're not damning me too, are ya, 'Dite?"

Aphrodite looked up and to her right to see Reno sticking his lower lip out at her. So, he followed. She appreciated. Ares didn't follow her when she left in despair earlier that day, but Reno did now…a regretful smile turned up the corners of her full lips, and her eyes brightened. "Not at all, Reno. Look, can we walk?"

"Sure," he said loosely, and he linked her arm around his elbow. "Down the yellow brick road." He sounded flat.

And this is why she found it comical! Aphrodite grinned at the Turk. "Who would've thought it: a Turk brightening my day? Or, rather, night? I thought you were all supposed to be cold, merciless spies, thieves, and killers."

"That's my job, okay? I have a life too. My job isn't my life. Well, actually, my job kinda takes it over…" Reno shook his head. "Whatever. Anyway, must be weird for you," he commented, his boot-like shoes sounding on the old-fashioned cobble stoned streets of Sector 7's upscale neighborhood (above the plate, of course). This was where the wealthier citizens of Midgar came, Aphrodite observed as she stared at the giant houses, hotels, and apartment buildings in wonder.

Reno seemed to notice the slum-girl's awe at this place's magnificence and said, "Like it?" He guided her arm as they trotted down Cobbler Boulevard, one of Sector 7's main shopping and entertainment places. "I was like that too, when I moved up above the plate. Now it's nothin' new to me."

"But it's so beautiful…" murmured Aphrodite, breathless.

Dozens of shops and interesting places lined both sides of the boulevard, and cars drove down the center street. Tonight's traffic was not the best, but the slum-girl delighted in seeing the automobiles. She had never before seen cars actually moving except for that truck in Nibelheim that never seemed to go anywhere. Above the plate, Midgar was a different world, and Aphrodite was the alien tourist.

They passed _Diamante_, a jewelry store made explicitly for the wealthy. Aphrodite stopped dead as she stared at a ring on display in the window. The prettiest piece of jewelry caught her eye: a gold ring adorned by tiny diamonds curving into the shape of a heart, an emerald set in the heart's center. "My birthstone…"

Reno noticed how Aphrodite stopped, and he turned to look, cocking an eyebrow. "Whatcha looking at?" His question was immediately answered when his turquoise eyes fell upon the ring. "You like it, 'Dite?"

The young woman could only nod, her gray-green eyes shining. "Beautiful," but once she looked at the price tag, both her face and heart fell. She knew point blank it was going to be expensive, but 50,000 gil? How absurd! "Let's continue on," she mumbled dispiritedly, taking Reno's hand and beginning to walk again.

Reno took one last look at the ring as they continued on, and then he stared at Aphrodite's hand, which had indeed taken his. His eyebrows shot up.

Aphrodite blinked, and realized what she had done with a flush of color in her cheeks. She immediately dropped his hand, scratching her ear in embarrassment. Reno smiled a sly grin.

"Anyway," began the redhead, clearing his throat. "Ya know, I don't live too far from here. In this real nice apartment complex two blocks from here."

"Really?" said Aphrodite, and her gaze, which previously lingered on her boots, shifted to the Turk's face. "Must be luxurious."

"Yeah, but I'm not much of a housekeeper," confessed Reno, flipping his bangs. "Wanna check it out?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"As long as you don't try anythin' funny," retorted the slum-girl, narrowing her eyes at Reno in suspicion.

He challenged her stare of wariness with one of his own, a lock of red hair falling over his right eye. "A Turk is offerin' you a 'tour' of his apartment. I thought you would quickly accept, terrified that I'd kill you if ya didn't." He licked his lips.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes, brushing the lock of fiery-red hair out of Reno's eyes. He was so tall! She had to almost stand on the balls of her feet to reach his eyes. The young woman herself wasn't that small, but she did stand about several inches shorter than him. "Not scared, Turkey. At least, not anymore. I can tell you won't hurt me. I dunno what tells me so, but I feel it."

"Don't call me 'Turkey,' babe," said Reno, smirking down at her. "Is that so, 'Dite? Not afraid? What a surprise!" The Turk turned a corner, Aphrodite beside him. They found themselves in an empty alley. "You're pretty intuitive, ya know?"

She shrugged it off—flicking her hand modestly—and observed the alley's dirty ground. "Reno, why are we here?"

"Shortcut," explained the redhead briefly.

Aphrodite raised a dark eyebrow at the Turk as they sauntered down the alley. "To your place?"

He nodded, but then stopped. He fumbled around in his coat pocket, and produced from it a small square carton. He casually leaned on the wall as he had the day they met, and Aphrodite followed after him.

"Ah," trailed off the young woman, tapping her chin with her finger. It was a box of Malboro cigarettes. She observed the small picture of a foul-looking green Malboro: the brand's mascot.

"I need a quick smoke," explained Reno succinctly, lighting his cigarette and sticking it in his mouth. He held the carton out to Aphrodite and offered her a cigarette, his voice muffled. "Wanfa shiggaret?"

She giggled at Reno's stifled offer, but shook her head. "I don't smoke either. That crap makes your breath stink. Kills ya, too."

The Turk shrugged. He removed the cigarette and blew a cloud of smoke. "I started smokin' in my teens. To fit in with the cool crowd." The cigarette went back into his mouth.

Aphrodite was about to speak when something got her from behind.

A pair of arms—not Reno's—grabbed the young woman's waist and arms, and she felt the cold touch of a gun being put to her head. Her eyes widened.

Reno's cigarette fell from his mouth when he stared, immediately reaching for his electro-rod.

Shit. Thugs!


	5. Death

**Disclaimer:** Well, I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. It belongs to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, though. Weeness. Haha…weeness…

**Author's Note:** Wee, here's Chapter 5 for you all. Guess who's point-of-view this chapter is written in! Again, a million thank-you's to my reviewers. Really makes me feel like this is worth it. Oh, a small warning. This chapter has a few more swear words than others; there's also a bit of graphic violence. But it's nothing too severe, I don't think. Enjoy, everyone. 

Chapter 5: Death

Damn. Three tough-looking thugs on one hand; a skilled Turk and an innocent slum-girl on the other. They were outnumbered. Of course, this scenario would typically be a piece of cake (more so if Rude was here and the slum-girl wasn't), but Aphrodite? She didn't look like much of a fighter. He doubted her ability.

Besides, those hooligans just _took _the girl hostage with a gun-threat. It wasn't very likely she'd move.

"Let go of me, you scumbags!" exclaimed Aphrodite, struggling under the first thug's grasp. The third man—whose gun did not point to the slum-girl's head—advanced on Reno, drawing a pistol of his own.

"Shut up, woman," mumbled the thug who held an iron grip on Aphrodite's waist, and he began to search the slum-girl's dress pockets. The second man, wearing a balaclava (a garment they all wore) snickered maliciously as he pointed his gun to her head.

"Gimme yer wallet and all you got or she's dead," threatened the third thug, advancing on Reno, gun in hand.

Damn those dirty vagabonds! Reno clutched the metal electro-rod and glanced at Aphrodite, who had obediently shut her mouth. Fear was distinct in her eyes. No! He wouldn't let them hurt her. He watched her tremble as the ruffians seized her… He could feel her silently, but desperately praying for their lives: not only hers.

_Aphrodite…_thought Reno as he let his weapon electrically charge. He fixed a cold, hard stare on the men before him. _I'm coming._

"I don't think so," said the redhead, and he dodged as the third man fired his gun. He rolled on the ground and came up on him from behind, shocking the thug with his electro-rod. Usually Reno kept the voltage of his weapon low, but this time around, he made sure the shock was powerful—deadly, in fact. The thug dropped to his knees at the instant, slumping to the ground. "Don't _ever _mess with a Turk. And don't mess with a Turk's…friend, either."

The remaining men furrowed their brows angrily at Reno. When the Turk stole a look at Aphrodite, he saw that hope shone in her gray-green eyes. Such pretty eyes… But he could still feel trepidation's energy radiate from her, and he nodded briefly at the slum-girl as if to say, "_Don't worry; we'll be fine."_

Reno never felt more connected to her than he did now. Perhaps that bond would help repel the louts.

"Damn you!" cursed the thug holding Aphrodite. He released the young woman, and unsheathed a dagger. He lunged at Reno.

Narrowing his eyes, the Turk dodged the vandal's lunge, swinging his weapon at him. His agility might aid him in this fight. The electro-rod needed about another two minutes to charge again, so Reno had to stall.

The thug was hit in the head by the rod, but it hardly penetrated the man's thick skull. He swiveled around and kicked the redhead in the ribs, sending blows to his face.

Shit! Blood drizzled down from a cut on his forehead, blocking his eyesight. Reno blindly threw a punch at his attacker, but alas; the vain attempt at a hit only ate the air. What was more, the man knocked the wind out of him, and the thug took this as an opportunity to shove the Turk to the wall, holding him in place as he landed Reno a dozen punches.

The other man seemed to have forgotten the horrified Aphrodite as well, and he aimed his pistol at Reno. "Bruce, lemme shoot him!"

"RENO!" cried the slum-girl, her eyes wide. She ran forward, breaking free of the bind that forbid her from moving.

As the Turk took the blows, hardly able to move, he withdrew his gun and tossed it to Aphrodite. Oh, 'Dite…would she forgive him for falling so quickly? He felt dizzy and lightheaded. Reno had no strength, no energy to move. _Save us both…_ he thought. Truthfully he wanted the young woman to run to safety, but she'd get lost, which was just as bad…

Aphrodite caught the pistol, and although her whole body shook, her hands firmly gripped the gun. Reno closed his eyes, and slumped to the ground. Hopefully, if he pretended to be knocked out, "Bruce"—the thug who pummeled him—would leave at least him alone.

"Too easy," said Bruce, chuckling. "Lesse what he got in his wallet now…hey, Vand, this Turk's probably gotta helluva lotta cash in there."

"Let's steal it," Reno faintly heard the second thug—Vand—snicker. Oh, no, Aphrodite…

"I don't think so, boys!" he finally heard the now firm voice of the slum-girl call. It must have taken her a lot of willpower to make her voice sound so strong; perhaps it was only a facade? "That's his wallet. You've no right to prowl there, little fellows."

Reno couldn't see what went on (since his eyes were closed), but gunfire and yells boomed in his ears from Aphrodite's direction. He never noticed how loud his gun was. In any case, he silently rooted for her.

"You ugly bitch! You'll pay for killing Vand!"

The redhead had to force himself to not raise his eyebrows in surprise. Aphrodite? He couldn't imagine her killing someone…

"That's what you get for hurting my friend! If he's dead, I'm gonna fucking kill you!" he heard Aphrodite shout—her soprano of a voice full of emotion—and the gun reloaded. He had never heard her utter such profanities; it was surprising

"C'mere, you! I'm gonna get you for that!" threatened the voice of the thug, and Reno heard his footsteps echoing towards the slum-girl.

Damn it…_ Be careful, Aphrodite_… He opened an eye, just a wink to watch the action. How he wanted so much to get up…Damn that thug! He wanted to help the girl…oh, if she died tonight, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't care, but this was different… He'd live in a world of regret: a regret that Reno of the Turks and Aphrodite Sorrows could have never been true friends. At least friends…or just allies?

Why couldn't he get up…? He tried to lift himself, but he couldn't breathe. 

Reno heard Aphrodite scream in agony and gasp, and the sickening noise of a dagger's steel impaling skin scarred his ears. He then heard the thug grunt, and the sound of a kick. He opened both of his eyes now, and stared in horror at the sight before him.

Aphrodite struggled, her dress torn, a large, bleeding gash on her abdomen. Reno's gun was in her hands. Despite the blood trickling out the wound, she managed to pitifully dodge the thug's next lunge, struggling to stand upright.

"Don't you run, woman!" growled the vandal, Bruce, dashing after the young slum-girl. Oh, how Reno wanted to pummel that vile, brutal man…

"I'm…not…running," retorted Aphrodite, her breathing sputtering out in labored gasps. A hand covered her wound, while her left hand grasped the gun. Suddenly the shades of gray and green in her eyes changed to red and Mako blue. A demonic, maniacal grin turned the corners of her full lips. "Quite the contrary." A hollow chuckle escaped her mouth, and she seemed to lose her sense of identity.

Bruce seemed taken aback and freaked out by the slum-girl's sudden change in attitude. He held up the dagger, peering at Aphrodite with narrowed eyes through his balaclava. Reno continued to stare at them, wiping fresh blood out of his eyes from a cut on his brow. What the hell was up with Aphrodite…? He'd never seen her like that…

"You long to end your meaningless existence, don't you?" spoke her suddenly soft, yet devilish voice.

"Shut up, slut."

She only smiled at the thug, an expression of false pity on her freckled visage. What in President Shin-Ra's name had happened to her?

The young woman straightened, ignoring the gash on her stomach. Aphrodite dropped the gun to the ground, and raised her arms to the night sky. Suddenly the slum-girl's watch began to glow shades of purple, red, and green. She uttered only one word, "_Death._"

Behind Bruce, a figure of the Grim Reaper appeared, clutching a giant scythe. It laughed, its iniquity echoing off the alley walls. The thug swiveled around to stare at the figure, his eyes as large as saucers. "What the—"

"Oh, and don't _ever _call me a slut," said Aphrodite with a most poisonous, yet velvety tone, but the image of the Grim Reaper ceased not to move. It raised the scythe, slashed, and before any of them knew it, the vagabond had fallen, a twisted and crumpled form on the ground.

He was dead.

Aphrodite killed him. With magic. With Death.

Reno stared at the slum-girl, his jaw dropping. Where had her sweet innocence gone? Was this truly Aphrodite Sorrows? Why did she act…like…like a demon?

The young woman's glow faded, and she fell to her knees, seeming to become herself again. Her eyes became gray-green again. She looked exhausted. "Reno…"

"A-Aphrodite, I'm…here…" the Turk struggled to breathe, fighting to lift his head.

A smile—a true smile, filled with relief—lit her bruised face, and she crawled over to the redhead. A hand still covered her bleeding abdomen, and it was stained red all over. A thin stream of blood trickled out of her mouth. "You're alive…"

"C'mon, babe. We've…gotta get…to…a hospital," said Reno, slinging an arm over the young woman's shoulder. He noticed many other injuries besides her stomach-gash. Too many to even list. He probably looked just as bad.

"How…Reno?" she inquired, gazing at him. Her eyes, which he always found so entrancing, were dull and hazy. They were glassy eyes…eyes that belonged to a corpse. "H-Have you…a phone…of some…sort?"

Reno grunted, and reached for his PHS in his blazer pocket. "I'll call," he said, dialing the emergency number.

"No, I will," breathed Aphrodite, taking the PHS. "You're too hurt, Reno… yes, hello? Um, my friend and I…are here…in an alley off…Cobbler Boulevard…and we're…badly…" she gasped, struggling to breathe. "injured. Please get…here as quickly…as possible."

After she hung up, Aphrodite slipped the PHS back into the Turk's blazer pocket. "Reno, forgive me…I killed a man tonight…no, two men…I've never…taken a life before…"

Reno wanted to ask why she had acted so strangely right before she murdered Bruce, but he decided now was not a good time. "They would have…killed you first… It's alright…don't apologize, 'Dite…"

"My…stomach really hurts, Reno…" whispered the young woman, and she slumped over, her head of light ash-brown curls resting on the redhead's lap.

"Just…hold on…a little while longer…we'll be fine," whispered Reno back to her, idly stroking her curls. He didn't care if they were dirty or caked with blood. The white carnation that once adorned her head was stained a sickening shade of crimson, stripped of most of its petals.

Reno had a feeling: he knew that after tonight, they would not be the same. He would never doubt Aphrodite Sorrows again. He felt closer to her now. Hell, she'd make a damn good candidate for the Turks… 


	6. Mother

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. It belongs to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, though.

**Author's Note:** To my readers, thank you all so much. It means so much to me. Anyway, Chapter 6 delves into another flashback. Chapter 7 won't have any flashbacks, though. The first nine lines are in present day, and the rest of the chapter from the horizontal rule on is the past. It answers a few questions from previous chapters, and poses some new ones…but I'm not telling ya'll any more. Just go and read it. Enjoy, everyone.

Chapter 6: Mother

Commanding voices and the rustling of feet thundered. Plain gray walls, white uniformed figures, and needles rushed by, blurring her vision. The lethargic beep of a heart monitor pounded in her ears.

"Alright, Miss Sorrows, this might hurt a little…"

"These medications will make you a bit drowsy…"

"Just hold on a little longer, miss…"

"The bleeding won't stop, doctor…"

She was falling…falling…

Falling…into blackness. The stench of ash and burning rubble polluted their noses. Smoke rose from Nibelheim's ruins; their skins were raw and burned, their faces ashen and filthy. The town looked as if it had been bombed. Ares and Aphrodite were huddled together on a clear patch of ground, surrounded on all sides by the embers of softly burning wood. Their little island of hope—their protective sanctuary. 

"Ares, I'm so hungry…"

"Here, sis'…have my bread." Ares brought the sixteen-year-old Aphrodite close, and held his small piece of dark, crusty bread to her lips. He draped his rugged leather cloak over her small, shivering figure, kissing the top of her head.

"N-no, Ares…it's yours…" Aphrodite pushed away the piece of bread, pulling the cloak closer. "Please don't…sacrifice everything for m—"

"You two the Travere survivors?"

The two siblings looked up at the speaker. Two Shin-Ra SOLDIERs in blue uniforms stood before them, and Aphrodite shrunk back in fear. Ares observed them with his piercing blue eyes and nodded.

"Yes, sir," said Ares.

"Come along, then. We are gathering survivors at the Shin-Ra mansion, the only structure that suffered no damages." The SOLDIERs nodded briefly and held our their hands to the Travere siblings.

Aphrodite was about to take the first SOLDIER's hand, but Ares stopped her. She tilted her head in bemusement at her elder brother.

"It's alright, sir. We're not gonna hurt you," the SOLDIER reassured Ares. The second one only nodded in agreement.

Ares still seemed wary, but he allowed him to take his sister's hand. Aphrodite beamed up at the SOLDIER, her freckled face soiled with dirt and ash. She spoke to Ares, but continued to smile at the blue-uniformed fellow, wondering what his face looked like under that SOLDIER mask. "They're here to help us, brother. We'll be alright."

Ares was silent, but Aphrodite could see a sharp solemnity in his eyes. Mother's eyes.

The two Shin-Ra SOLDIERs led the Travere siblings to the only edifice that survived the fire: the Shin-Ra mansion. That was a beautiful dwelling, grander than the Travere mansion itself. Aphrodite admired the iron gold-tipped gates that encircled the structure like a moat as the foursome entered.

Immediately she began to cough from the dusty, thick air of the Entrance Hall. Did anyone ever dust around here…? "Is that it…?" She was astonished. Only two survivors sat, badly injured, on the floor. A nurse was tending to the two men while several other Shin-Ra SOLDIERs stood guard.

"Your names?" the second SOLDIER roused Aphrodite out of her thoughts.

She was about to speak, but Ares became a mouth for two. "Ares Hector de Travere. My sister is Aphrodite Galatea de Travere."

"Those are some long-ass names," Aphrodite heard the first SOLDIER mumble under his breath. How crude and young he sounded! Indeed, he was the one she had smiled at earlier, but he was noticeably less motivated than his partner. "Well, come sit 'ere, then. The nurse'll be with you in a tick."

Aphrodite watched Ares out of the corner of her eye. He looked as if he had just sucked a lemon. He didn't seem to like that SOLDIER. The nurse would be with them in a _tick_? He couldn't be talking about those terrible pests that occasionally infested the town dogs. Where was the lad from? What slang!

The SOLDIERs sat them down on the floor beside the other two survivors. After close observation through narrowed gray-green eyes, Aphrodite saw that the two young men looked around her age, and both had glowing Mako-blue eyes…one was chocobo-haired, and the other's spiky locks were black.

The nurse tending to the young men scurried away for a few minutes, and Aphrodite, in curiosity, leaned over to speak to them.

"Are you two the only survivors besides us?" She inquired. Ares squeezed her burned shoulder, and the girl yelped like an injured puppy. He apologized, quickly retracting his hand with a regretful frown.

The black-haired one looked up and stared blankly at them for a second. "Yeah… H-hey, aren't you the Traveres?"

Aphrodite nodded, Ares watching with wary eyes. The two SOLDIERs that had led them into the mansion stood nearby, pretending to be oblivious to this tête-à-tête. "Yes…oh! Zack! I remember you!" She grew excited, a wide grin spreading on her ashen face. "You're the shopowner's son!" When the chocobo-haired lad looked up, her eyes enlarged. They were nearly the size of grapefruit. "And Cloud! You guys are alive! I cannot believe it!"

Cloud looked terribly weak—and so did Zack—but the latter seemed a little more vigorous. Ares only watched and listened while he ran a large, rough hand through his disheveled locks. Aphrodite had always admired his hair: light, ash-brown wavy tresses that he usually tied at the nape of his neck. Only now, his hair lung limply above his shoulders, no ponytail in place. She turned towards Zack and Cloud.

"How did you guys survive?" asked Aphrodite, leaning forward in interest. However, a bad burn on her abdomen caused her to retract in pain, and she gritted her teeth.

Zack was about to open his mouth when another voice cut him off.

"Aphrodite and Ares de Travere?"

The two looked up. The nurse, in a simple gray and white uniform, gestured to them. "Come along, you two. The Professor will see you now. Oh, and you two SOLDIERs, accompany us to the laboratory."

Ares and Aphrodite stood up, the former supporting his sister with an arm around her waist. "C'mon, sis."

"Professor…?" Now she was a little suspicious. Wouldn't the nurse tend to their wounds, as she did to Zack and Cloud? Who was this "Professor?" Reluctantly, she and Ares followed after the nurse as she led them up the stairs into the right-hand hallway, the SOLDIERs close by. Zack had nodded with a weak smile at the two, but Cloud had looked worried. He looked as if he wanted to shout something, to warn them, but nothing came out of his mouth. On the other hand, Ares seemed trusting, and that was unusual of him…

"Yes, Professor Hojo, Head of Shin-Ra's Science Department… He is to conduct some tests on you two," said the nurse, and she led Ares and Aphrodite into a small bedroom, opening a hidden door in the wall.

"Tests?" Aphrodite was skeptical. "What kind of tests?"

Ares seemed a bit concerned at her behavior, but he only stroked her curls idly. He smiled. "They probably just want to make sure we're okay. Don't fret, Aphrodite."

The nurse nodded, waving her hands as if to dismiss Aphrodite's question. She smiled as well, ushering them down a hidden, spiraling staircase worn-down through the years. Its wood was rotten, and it looked ready to collapse beneath their feet. "No need to worry, child," she said, skipping a missing step.

Aphrodite was distrustful as the nurse and two SOLDIERs led them through a corridor in a bizarre basement. She stared uneasily at the bones and skulls strewn about the violet floor. This place was like a tomb. It even smelled like one. Before she entered the mansion, she had thought it would be beautiful and…well…pure. She still saw the giant house as pretty in its own way, but now that she set foot into this basement…she begged to differ.

When the five stepped through a door at the very end of the basement corridor, Aphrodite found that they had entered a spacious laboratory and library. A man in a white lab coat swiveled around from his lab-table, and hurried over. "Ah, yes! The special ones. Thank you, nurse."

The nurse nodded, that smile still plastered upon her face. The two SOLDIERs stood silently in the background, moving behind Hojo. Special ones? What did he mean? Aphrodite cocked an eyebrow at Ares, but he only shrugged as the two exchanged glances. "Professor…Hojo?"

"Yes. Come, come. You are of the wealthy Travere family, no?"

Ares opened his mouth to reply, but Hojo cut him off.

'Well, were. Now that there is no fortune for you two to inherit, it is best if I use past tense," Hojo smirked at them, stroking his chin. "You two are of very special, rare blood. Did you two know that?"

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose, confused and vexed at the way Hojo spoke to them. He made her feel two inches tall. Rare, special blood? What was he talking about? She felt rather ordinary, really… She only shook her head; Ares's face, however, tightened.

"What kind of tests do you wish to conduct, Professor?" Ares asked. Aphrodite watched him eye the peculiar medical instruments on Hojo's lab-table. They looked like alien tools.

A dismissive, almost crazy-looking smile dominated Professor Hojo's pale, aged face. "Relax! Come now, girl," he curled his finger at Aphrodite. "You're the youngest, aren't you? Come, lie here on this stretcher."

She reluctantly dragged her feet across the floor towards the stretcher Professor Hojo indicated with his hand. Ares did not object, much to her dismay. This was the one time she wished he would object like he always did. The first SOLDIER—the one who had taken her hand earlier—nodded at her, as if to say, "_Don't worry_." Well, at least that one cared. "My name is _Aphrodite_, sir…"

"Yes, yes. Whatever you say, my specimen…I mean, _patient_," Hojo corrected himself quickly, and he turned his back to the two, fiddling with medical instruments at his lab-table. "Boy, I need you to step out to the hallway for a while. I'll call you in later. Nurse, would you escort him out?"

Ares looked ready to protest, but he grudgingly complied as the nurse began to lead him out of the laboratory. And still that bothersome woman was smiling in her generic way! "…Yes, Professor. And my name is _Ares_."

Aphrodite watched her brother leave with a look of panic. The door clicked as it locked behind them. _Don't leave me, brother! _She began to chew on her lower lip as Professor Hojo tinkered with a syringe and red liquid that looked too thin to be blood… _Don't leave me with this mad-looking man! _ She had a very bad feeling about this Hojo character: this malicious man who leered down at her so hungrily… He had called her his specimen…

"P-Professor, w-what's that…?" stammered Aphrodite, her eyes wide with fear at the large syringe that Hojo advanced on her with. A rubber tourniquet and alcohol swab was in his other hand.

"Stop questioning me, girl!" snapped Professor Hojo, and he rubbed the alcohol swab on her arm. He tied the tourniquet around her left arm as if he were wrapping a birthday gift. "Now, keep your mouth shut and don't say a word. This might hurt a little…"

Aphrodite stiffened like a corpse in rigor mortis. Her fists immediately tensed. Going to hurt a _little_, did he say? Then obviously, it was going to hurt a _lot_…scientists and doctors never told the truth when it came to pain…

"Don't get so rigid!" Hojo spat at her, and pressed his long, bony fingers along her left arm, searching for a vein. "Clench and unclench your fist, so I can get the vein."

Aphrodite obeyed, chewing her lower lip so hard that she tasted blood. She tried to not stare at the syringe, and instead looked at the SOLDIERs. They looked rather stoic, judging by their masks… Professor Hojo at last found a vein in the crook of her elbow, and he pierced her ashen skin with the colossal syringe.

Aphrodite only squealed a terrified little squeak, and she stared in horror as the thick needle penetrated her skin. The reddish fluid Hojo was injecting at first caused her no pain. But after about a minute or so, a painful sensation tingled in her body.

Her heart pounded at the speed of a sprinting chocobo, her extremities trembled violently… Her hormones raged and her mind raced… Her eyes opening wide…

And Aphrodite began to scream in agony.

Her shrieks echoed off the laboratory walls, and the girl ceased not to shake. Her skin lost any color it might have had, and her eyes were brightly glowing shades of crimson and Mako-blue…they were like eerie lamplights…

"Restrain her!" she only vaguely heard Professor Hojo's command, and he sounded both panicked and excited. His dark eyes were wide as the two Shin-Ra SOLDIERs pinned Aphrodite to the stretcher, the girl wild. Her head tossed and shook just as fiercely as the rest of her body.

What was this pain…?

**_"__Come to me, my child. You belong to me now. You are no longer of the Planet's…"_**

"LEAVE ME ALONE! STOP! STOP!" Aphrodite, screaming at the peak of her lungs, tried to usher away the wicked voice whispering to her…haunting her…

**_"__I will give you the whole universe, my child, if you obey me…"_**

Ares wasn't here to save her…

**_"__I will give you everything you want, if you obey my son, Sephiroth…"_**

She was alone…alone with a mad scientist and two Shin-Ra SOLDIERs…screaming…shaking…dying from this unreal pain…

**_"__You shall serve your mother, Jenova, now…"_**


	7. Violet Kicks, Greensleeved Punches, Swee...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. It belongs to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, though.

**Author's Note:** I just can't stop thanking you guys. I'm too thankful. So, yes, thanks again, all of my readers and reviewers. Well, here's Chapter 7 for you all. I know it's long, but I find it necessary. LOL, I love the title. It's a weird, mixed-up title I came up with around 12 AM while listening to a piano version of "J-E-N-O-V-A." (That's the song when you fight Jenova and Hojo. I love it.) See if you can find the bizarre irony and bad puns in the title. XD This chapter actually has less action than the previous ones, so it's a breather. However, that changes near the end. Enjoy, everyone!

Oh, and to **Howard the Duck**: The two Shin-Ra SOLDIERs in Chapter 6 weren't Zack and Cloud. If you recall, Zack and Cloud were in the entrance hall of the Shin-Ra mansion, injured. In the game, Hojo performed experiments on them (and I stay true to that), but in my story, Aphrodite and Ares went right before them. I hope that clears it up.

**  
**Chapter 7: Violet Kicks, Greensleeved Punches, Sweet-smelling Tackles, and Cure Carnations

Someone was singing…Singing softly to her as she slept… Like a lullaby… Rescuing her from her truthful nightmare… She smelled violets and carnations. Sweet-smelling cologne soothed her troubled, painful soul. And he was singing…

"_Greensleeves was all my joy,  
Greensleeves was my delight,__  
Greensleeves was my heart of gold,__  
And who but my lady Greensleeves…"_

Aphrodite opened her eyes. A familiar face smiled down at her, stroking her forehead. His piercing blue eyes gazed warmly at her. Ares! Who else could have known her favorite song since childhood?

She remembered his cologne. He wore it everyday. On the small table beside her hospital bed was a glass vase bursting with fresh white carnations (her favorite flowers) and violets, and they smelt of rapture. She licked her dry lips and smiled up at Ares, glad to be awake. She didn't want to remember the past…

"How do you feel, sister?" Ares's deep voice sounded friendly and welcoming. "I knew your favorite song would wake you up."

Aphrodite's smile widened. "I feel…" She began to sit up, but an excruciating pain in her abdomen pushed her back down. "…Tired."

"You were in terrible condition, Aphrodite. I thought you were a goner," said Ares, frowning at his heavily bandaged sister. "You wouldn't stop bleeding. Neither would that Reno fellow…" He trailed off, glaring across the room.

Aphrodite tilted her head at him. "It was pretty serious, I gather…" She turned to look in the direction Ares was scowling, and her eyes widened.

There, in a bed on the other side of the hospital suite, was a sleeping young man with fiery-red hair.

"Reno!" Aphrodite was relieved. He was sleeping very peacefully, though he looked rather humorous in his teddy-bear printed hospital gown… "I'm glad he's alright…"

Ares sighed, shaking his head. "I just can't keep you away from him, can I?"

She grinned, looking back at her older brother. His expression said that he wanted her undivided attention. Ares looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he spoke. "I really want to give you the third degree for what you did to me, but I'll cut you some slack for now. Look, Aphrodite, I noticed that you looked…troubled…in your sleep. What was wrong?"

She chewed her lower lip, shaking her head. "Nothing. Nothing at all, brother." She forced a smile, and just as Ares was about to speak, the door opened. They looked up, anxious to see who entered.

Two men strode into the hospital suite. They were both clad in blue suits that seemed familiar to Aphrodite. One was an oriental fellow with long jet-black hair, and the other was a large, bald man with dark glasses obscuring his eyes from view. Turks? Reno's co-workers, perhaps?

Aphrodite stared at them. The two blue-suited men observed Reno's slumber for a short moment, and Ares gazed at them apprehensively. A deafening silence hung in the air for a few minutes before the black-haired Turk cleared his throat, fixing his dark eyes on Aphrodite.

"And how is Reno? Mighty fine mess you two have gotten yourselves into, hmm?" said the oriental man, folding his hands behind his back. The slum-girl guessed that he was probably from Wutai. He hadn't even bothered to introduce himself…

She saw the bald man shake his head and make a 'tsk' sound before she cleared her own throat. "He is…much better now, I believe," she said, shifting her weight. This hospital gown, though hideous (teddy-bear print?) was really quite comfortable. Maybe the hospital workers would let her keep it for pajamas. She almost giggled at the thought of wearing a teddy-bear printed hospital gown to bed, and struggled to keep a straight face as she observed the two blue-suited men. Ares was looking wary again…

"Not a good enough answer, but I'll take it," said the Wutain Turk, narrowing his dark eyes at the slum-girl. With close observation, she noticed a strange dot on his forehead. The bald man, she found, wore over half a dozen hoop earrings in a single ear. How strange! Most of the Turks seemed to have odd, distinguishing features: one bald with many earrings, another with a dot on his forehead, and Reno with his two red cheekbone scars.

"Aphrodite—" began Ares, but the bald man cut him off.

"Are you that slum-rat Reno said he was going out with the other evening?"

Aphrodite raised her dark eyebrows, taken aback by his sudden interrogation. Her nose wrinkled at the "slum-rat" insult. "Indeed. But it's not my fault…sir. It was three thugs. They assaulted us while Reno and I were on the way to his place."

The bald Turk shook his head. "Reno can take down three men single-handedly. He shouldn't need some dirty little girl helping him. Right, Tseng?"

The Wutain man was silent.

What nerve! How dare he! Aphrodite clenched her fists and glanced at Ares. Her elder brother narrowed his eyes at the Turk, and he finally took his opportunity to speak.

"Don't you talk to my sister like that," growled Ares. He stared down the bald man, and the young woman saw the ice in his sharp blue eyes. Mother's eyes. "You haven't any right. You're a Turk, and you are ten times dirtier than my sister will ever be."

"No right? Maybe under Shin-Ra I do," retorted the giant man, and he crossed his large, muscular arms. The Turk named Tseng watched this argument with an amused smirk, his hands folded behind his back like a sergeant.

"C'mon, leave 'Dite and her brother alone, Rude. It's not their fault," said a groggy, irritated voice suddenly, and Aphrodite jumped.

Reno sat up, but fell back on his pillow again, tangled in his sheets. He looked like a burrito, all rolled up in them. Aphrodite couldn't help but giggle at the comical sight. He looked so funny in his teddy-bear patterned hospital gown, all mixed up in white bed-sheets. He reminded her of a child.

All attention focused on Reno.

"So Sleeping Beauty has awakened," said Tseng, his lightly accented voice dripping with sarcasm. "How are you feeling, Reno?"

Aphrodite observed Ares's reaction to Reno's ungraceful awakening. He watched the redhead in disgust, thinning his lips. He squeezed her injured shoulder—probably without thinking—and she cried out in pain, reflexively inching away from her elder brother. He frowned and uttered a swift apology.

"I'm perfectly fine," said Reno, sounding cocky as usual. He glanced towards Aphrodite after her exclamation, and smirked. "Hey, 'Dite."

Aphrodite felt Rude's eyes—hidden by his dark shades—linger on her in disgust as she attempted a smile at Reno. "Feeling better?"

He shrugged. "Same as always. Quick healer." He seemed to notice the clash between the Turks—especially Rude—and Aphrodite and Ares. "Rude, Tseng, this is Aphrodite Sorrows. She saved our lives."

"Charmed," said Tseng, sounding mildly sarcastic. Rude was silent. So was Ares.

"'Dite, meet my co-workers: Rude and Tseng of the Turks, Shin-Ra, Inc. Don't let them intimidate you," said Reno, and Aphrodite noticed the redhead cast a dirty look at his fellow Turks as if saying, _"Cut her some slack, okay?"_

"No worries," replied Aphrodite, waving her hand as if to dismiss the hateful, apathetic behavior of the two Turks. "Oh, and this is my brother, Ares. Pardon him, he's a bit hotheaded and jealous," she introduced her overprotective elder brother to Rude and Tseng, smirking apologetically.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye at Ares, who scowled at the Turks, Reno included. Ares didn't look like he enjoyed their presence; but then again, the blue-suited men (including hospital-gown Reno) didn't seem to like Ares, either. Nor did Tseng and Rude seem to be to keen on Aphrodite. Oh, well.

* * *

"Man, I'm broke," mumbled Aphrodite, frowning at the measly twenty-five gil in her hand. She had just finished counting her savings, and looked at Reno in humiliation. How embarrassing. He must have thought lowly of her by now. "I have less than thirty gil, and I desperately need some clothes," said the slum-girl, glancing down at the men's shirt and pants Reno had lent her.

The two sat in chairs at a table in Reno's vast apartment that morning, sipping coffee. This place was colossal to her, but she could tell that the Turk was not very organized or at least inclined to clean regularly. They had just left the hospital after recovering there for five days; Ares and Aphrodite had argued over the young woman's freedom again, but she won once more, and ran off with the red-haired Turk. She told herself she wouldn't ever go back to the slums.

"Well, at least you took the first step and used my shower," joked Reno, grinning. "You smell _so _much nicer now." He leaned closer to her, sniffing her long, damp curls and stroking the soft, clean skin on her arm flirtatiously.

"_Re-_no!" complained Aphrodite, smacking the Turk on the head. "Do try to keep your distance!"

Reno put on a strange expression: a pouting lower lip but cold eyes. "It's hard to stay away from a goddess…"

"Oh, shut up," said the young woman, giving him a Look. "Anyway. Hey, what's up with those co-workers of yours? They're such thick-skinned…things," she finished lamely, trying to refrain from using a curse word on those men.

"Rude happens to be my friend. He's not really a bad guy to me. Turks gotta be that way, though," explained Reno, shrugging. "Pitiless. Brutal, I say. They have few friends. Few lovers. Though I might be an exception to the 'few lovers' principle," he winked suggestively at the last wisecrack. "I love my job. Not sayin' I love the Shin-Ra, but the pay is well worth it."

Aphrodite nodded, holding her mug of coffee, and watched Reno prop his feet up on the table. "What…kind of stuff do you guys do?"

"We do whatever we're told. We follow orders, and most of these orders concern killin', stealing, kidnappin' and all that dirty shit. Pretty fun, really. Almost everyone's scared silly of you when you're a Turk." Reno smirked at Aphrodite, flipping his bangs. "Occasionally there's a dumb report to write or file on some noteworthy event, or records to keep." He grinned. "Why, 'Dite? Interested?"

The slum-girl raised the mug to her lips, gulping a hefty dose of French vanilla-Irish cream coffee. Her favorite. Blinking, she examined the red diamond-shaped Shin-Ra logo glaring at her from the ceramic of the mug. Company gift, perhaps? She looked back at Reno, holding the warm mug in her hands. "Interested? Curious, maybe."

Hmm… To be honest, this Turk job didn't sound too shabby. "What's it take to become to a Turk?" inquired Aphrodite suddenly, her gray-green eyes widening with renewed curiosity.

Reno scrutinized her for a few moments, as if searching for her reasons. He then cleared his throat, running a hand through his fiery-red bangs. "You've gotta be strong. Good fighting, good thievery, and stealth. You can't let your background, your emotions, or beliefs get in the way of your mission. You do what you're told: no questionin' anyone's authority. The higher-ups hate it," he explained, and quickly sipped his coffee. "And when you're ordered to steal, kill, or kidnap, you do it without pity for the victim. It's a tough job alright, and not only is the pay real good, but it has its benefits."

Aphrodite nodded, absorbing Reno's explanation with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. She never thought it took so much! A question struck her, and she gazed at the Turk wonderingly. "Reno, why did you choose to be a Turk, paycheck and benefits aside?"

The red-haired man averted his blue-green gaze, seemingly fascinated by the off-white wall now. He bit his lower lip, and Aphrodite cocked her head, surprised by his sudden behavioral chance. He was acting like the young woman did when she remembered Nibelheim. And then Reno spoke. "That's…somethin' I'd rather not talk about, Aphrodite."

"O-Oh, I'm sorry," apologized the slum-girl, tilting her head, curls framing her face. "Hey, Reno," she said suddenly, diverting the subject. "Do you think…that I'd make a good Turk?"

Reno lifted his head and gazed into her eyes, flabbergasted. Aphrodite wondered what he was thinking as he perused her with those eyes of his…

"I think, with practice, you'd make a great Turk," complimented Reno thoughtfully. He seemed so serious! So, he was deeper than she thought… Aphrodite analyzed his response and the intent way he looked at her. This was strange. "But…why, Aphrodite?"

The young woman shrugged almost passively, tucking a light, damp ash-brown curl behind her ear. She lowered her eyes, and fiddled with her fingers. "I…I'm not sure. I…would like to learn money to support Ares and me, but that's not really it. I think it's because…I want to be stronger?" She furrowed her brow as she gazed down at her fingers, trying to understand why she asked the question. Was it because of Reno himself? Was it her? Ares? The past? She was tentative. "But, I don't truly know why…"

Reno arched a red eyebrow at her and leaned forward in his chair. Lightly he tapped his long, tapering fingers on the wooden tabletop, and narrowed his luminescent eyes at her in contemplation. He cleared his throat. "Well, then. Say, 'Dite. Maybe I _can_ get ya into the Turks. I think you're tough enough."

She lifted her head, her eyes wide and bright. "I can…? You'd…do that for me?"

"Why not?" shrugged the red-haired Turk, smirking at Aphrodite. "You're my pal, right?"

A sheepish grin accompanied a light flush on the slum-girl's face. "I suppose… Wow…thank you, Reno! When do we start my training?" she asked, almost hopping out of her chair. A look of both gratitude and excitement gleamed in her eyes, and she folded her hands over her chest as if in prayer. What joy! Reno would teach her all (?) about Turkhood and give her the proper training. She still couldn't understand why she desired to be a Turk, or even if she really seemed the Turk-type, but she decided to think about that another day. The answers to these questions would come to her all in good time.

"We can start today if ya want," Reno shrugged again, flipping his bangs.

Aphrodite beamed at him, her eyes bright as the light of fireflies. "Alright!" She looked like a child.

The two stood up. Reno led Aphrodite to a room suspended in the main corridor: a simple workout room. It looked, really, like someplace he'd go to do some exercise. To burn off steam, perhaps. The tall redhead smirked at her. "I remember seeing you take out that last thug the other night. You're good with magic, obviously. But you've gotta learn how to fight physically."

"I _can _fight physically," said the slum-girl matter-of-factly. "I just wasn't prepared for that fight."

Reno raised an eyebrow at Aphrodite, as if mocking her. "Alright then. So, hit me. Show me your physical skill. No magic, no weapons. And no bitch slaps, ya hear?"

Aphrodite giggled, but quickly abolished the sound. She cracked her knuckles. Very unladylike, she knew. "And suppose I hit you too hard?"

"You can use Cure, right?" He replied, an eye lingering on the small green Restore materia set in one of the four slots of her watch.

The young woman nodded, also glancing at the four materia slots in her accessory. "And you're fighting back?"

"No. I want to see how hard you hit first," said Reno, and he curled a finger towards his slouchy self. "Show me your stuff, babe."

A sly grin crawled onto her mouth. "'Kay." And with that simple word, she landed Reno a punch in the face.

He staggered back, a hand over his bleeding nose. Aphrodite took this to her advantage by shoving the Turk into the wall and knocking the wind out of him with a kick.

"Okay, okay," exclaimed Reno, huffing and puffing as he slumped to the floor. He struggled to breathe. "That's enough. I…underestimated…you, 'Dite."

Aphrodite let out a 'hmph' sound, and crouched beside the fallen Turk, healing his wounds and killing his pain with a Cure spell. She mockingly patted his head. "I want to see you fight back."

Reno stood and stretched, adjusting the dark glasses on his head and throwing his bangs back. A wily grin curled up the corners of his lips, and he raised his fists. "I'll go easy on ya."

The slum-girl shook her head. "Don't!"

"Fine, then. Ladies first," said the Turk.

"Sure," smirked Aphrodite, raising her own fists. A…fun challenge, this would be. Reno was in for a few surprises.

The redhead braced himself for a right-sided assault.

She raised her eyebrows at this. She had an advantage. With that mocking smirk still on her face, she advanced on the Turk. She held her right fist in such a way so it gave off the illusion that she was going to punch Reno with it.

Instead, it was her left fist that caught him by surprise.

Reno placed a hand over his right eye and recoiled, staring at her.

"Didja forget I'm left-handed, Reno, 'huh?" mocked Aphrodite playfully, grinning. She threw another punch at him, this time with her right fist. The Turk easily caught it and deflected her blow with a kick.

The slum-girl was unwise to not expect this, and a sharp pain jabbed at her ribs. But she ignored it, deflecting a punch from Reno.

This little practice match soon became a full-blown melee. Reno and Aphrodite were nearly at each other's throats. They looked like angry husband and wife, or perhaps, brother and sister fighting over the last cookie in the jar. In the end, the young woman cried out for a broken rib, and Reno took this to his advantage by tackling Aphrodite to the floor.

"I win," gloated the redhead, and Reno didn't seem to notice—in all his cocky triumph—that he was right on top of her. Aphrodite struggled to breathe.

"Reno…" she gasped, her cheeks rosy both in exhaustion and embarrassment at their position on the floor. "Geroff…me…"

Suddenly the Turk seemed to realize this as well, and he rolled off of the young woman. "…Not bad," he said, flipping his long red ponytail. Reno hadn't won this battle unscathed, however. He sported a black eye, several bruises, and another bleeding nose.

Aphrodite sat up, clutching her gut as she cast Cure on herself and Reno. "That should do it," she said, and stood up. Their painful wounds evaporated. She wiped her brow. "Really? Am I good enough?"

"'Dite, ya gave me a black eye. Sure as hell you're good enough," he gave her a knowing look. "I'll take ya to headquarters tomorrow, then, so we can see what the boss thinks."

She beamed, her eyes bright. And once again, she looked like a joyful child on Christmas Day. She fought the urge to give him a bear hug and smother him with thankful kisses. "Oh, thank you, Reno!"

"Stop thankin' me, will ya?" Reno shrugged it off, plopping down on the sofa. "You can sleep in the guest room t'night. Though I wouldn't mind sharing my bed." He winked.

Aphrodite stood behind the Turk and smacked him upside the head. "Guest room's fine with me. I'm sure not going back to the slums and letting Ares rule _my_ life again…"

"But ain't all your stuff back there?"

She blinked.

Aphrodite hadn't thought of that. "Oh, yeah… Well, I'll work that out somehow. We'll pick up my belongings first, later."


	8. New Recruit

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. It belongs to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, though.

**Author's Note:** Ah, what the heck. Another thank-you to my readers and reviewers. I'm sorry this chapter came in a bit late! I've been very busy. I have a lot more of the story written down, but I'm revising, typing, and posting the chapters at my own pace. I don't want to make any big mistakes. Anyway, I hope you will like this chapter, everyone. Enjoy! 

**Chapter 8: New Recruit  
**

The colossal tower loomed ahead and above. The brilliant golden lights of its seventy floors beamed down at her like the thousand eyes of a metal beast. She had to tilt her head back almost 180 degrees to scale the monster of a tower with her eyes.

Why, it was even larger in person… She had never seen a building so grand…

"Pretty damn big, huh?"

His voice roused her from her thoughts, and she gazed at the Turk with wide eyes. "It's one thing to see it on TV, but it's another to see it with my own eyes.""

He smirked, flipping his bangs. "C'mon, let's go inside."

She nodded, her bouncing curls tickling her face. "Okay."

They faced forward, and Aphrodite followed Reno up the wide staircase. The sliding glass doors opened before them, welcoming her to a new world of elites, and they strode into the lobby of the Shin-Ra building.

**-**

"Hold still, Miss Sorrows! I cannot draw blood with you fidgeting like that," scolded the nurse who conducted blood work on the 67th floor of Shin-Ra headquarters.

Aphrodite chewed on her lower lip, wincing as the nurse tried to insert the "butterfly" needle into the crook of her elbow. She hadn't gone through this agonizing process since her childhood, and not only that, but needles terrified the young woman. She clenched and unclenched her fists as the nurse finally found the vein.

"There we go…" mumbled the nurse. Her nose was rather large, Aphrodite observed. She watched the glass tube fill with crimson blood, a sinking feeling in her stomach. The nurse filled a second tube.

"Nurse," began Aphrodite, "why must I go through with this? All I want to do is join the Turks…"

"For safety purposes, Miss Sorrows, the employer needs recent medical records if you are to work for the company. Since you have none," explained the nurse, removing the needle and taking the two tubes of blood to a counter, "we must create your records. That is why we are conducting your lab work. Let's see… Now you just need a urinalysis…"

Aphrodite stared. "Urinalysis?"

The big-nosed nurse handed the slum-girl a small plastic cup, peering at her over thick spectacles. "Just urinate into the cup. The restroom is down the hall."

She blanched, gingerly taking the cup. "Right…" She screwed up her face, dragging her feet across the white-tiled floor.

Aphrodite had great difficulty aiming into the clumsy little cup. The restroom was a tiny space that smelled of rubber, and she almost painted the cramped lavatory a brilliant shade of yellow.

She passed the waiting room on her way to the analysis chamber. Reno, who had accompanied Aphrodite to the 67th floor, looked up as she passed. He looked restless from waiting.

"Want some lemonade?" offered the young woman, holding the cup of urine out to the redhead.

Reno almost took the little cup before he suddenly withdrew his hand, his blue-green eyes wide. He gave her a filthy look, furrowing his brow. His left eye twitched. "'Dite!"

She grinned like the Cheshire cat, bursting into giggles as she rushed away.

**-**

Reno held the cold compress to his forehead. "Ow…"

Aphrodite's breathing came out in sputtered gasps as she struggled to stand straight. She healed his wounds as well as her own with a Cure spell. Tseng, the Turk leader, and Heidegger, head of the Peace Preservation department (and boss of the Turks) stared at the slum-girl, mild impression scribbled on their faces.

"Stronger than she looks," Tseng muttered thoughtfully, his hands folded behind his back.

Aphrodite gazed back and forth from Tseng to Heidegger in anxiety. Did she make it? She glanced briefly at Reno, who looked indifferent. No, not indifferent… He was analyzing Heidegger's condescending expression as the fat man ran a hand through his long, shaggy black beard. What were these men thinking…?

A long silence boomed in Aphrodite's ears. Sweat beads tickled her forehead as they trickled down her face.

After a few seconds that lagged like hours, Heidegger broke the silence.

"We'll call you."

She felt her head nod repeatedly, an action of its own. _We'll call you…_ Those were words employers of the past had always told her. Words Aphrodite never liked. "O-Okay…I mean, yes, sir."

Tseng was smirking at her, and Reno was unusually quiet. Heidegger nodded, signifying that the physical portion of the interview was over. "If we decide to let you in, Sorrows, we'll call you in up to three days. You can go now," he boomed, patting his potbelly.

**- **

"Aphrodite."

She looked up and stared at him blankly, fidgeting on his couch. She sat by the phone, twiddling her thumbs. "What?"

"You've been sittin' there since we got back! Aren't ya gonna eat?"

She shook her head at him. "I can't, Reno! What if they call and I'm off doing something else?"

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Your loss…" he mumbled, shrugging and stalking off to the kitchen. Aphrodite watched him produce a can of beer from the refrigerator as she chewed her lower lip. Were they _ever_ going to call…?

"Reno, do you think they'll call?"

He shrugged at her, taking a swig from his beer can. "They should. I mean, after putting you through training this week, they've gotta call. You gave a pretty good interview, too, 'sides the whole fight-test part."

She shrugged as well and glanced at the Shin-Ra clock, amazed at the hour. Ten PM? A little late… She was getting awfully tired. Her head started to slump, and she struggled to sit straight and keep her eyes open.

"Hey, 'Dite. Catch!"

Her eyes flickered open when something wrapped in plastic hit her in the face. Blinking, she stared down at herself.

A stick of string cheese was sitting in her lap.

"Aw…" she mumbled, unwrapping the cheese stick with a smile. She lifted her head and beamed over at the redhead. "Thanks, Reno. I love these! How did you know?"

He shrugged, taking a long gulp of his beer. He wiped his mouth then, flipping his bangs. "I didn't know you liked them…"

"Oh. Well, thanks anyway!" Aphrodite indulged in her snack, peeling the strings of cheese and slowly lowering them into her mouth. She reclined on the couch and kicked off her shoes. But much to their misfortune, her right shoe soared across the living room, knocking over a bottle of wine that Reno had casually misplaced.

…A bottle of wine made of glass.

The bottle shattered as it hit the off-white carpet. The dark red liquor spilled out of the wine bottle, staining the carpet a dull shade of crimson.

"_Shit!_" Reno's eyes grew to about the size of wine bottle corks, and he ground his teeth. He crushed his can of beer in his hand, tossing it into the wastebasket. "'Dite, you idiot! Look what you did!"

Aphrodite stared at the incident she caused in horror, chewing her lower lip. She dropped her cheese stick. "…Oops…" she squeaked, rising from the couch. Oh, dear…Reno would hate her for this. Why did she always have to make stupid mistakes like this?

Reno mumbled a string of incoherent swear words, stomping over to the scene of the crime. "Can't you aim when you kick your shoes off, 'Dite!" he yelled at her, cracking his knuckles. "I was savin' that bottle for…" he paused, blinking. Then he shook his head, furrowing his brow at Aphrodite. "…Nevermind. Help me clean this up."

She, at first, felt horrible and guilty. But now she was confused. What was he saving that bottle for? Aphrodite shook her head; she'd ask him later. One thing surprised her, however, and that was his anger. She had never seen him look so furious. How odd of him…just another strange side to the Turk.

The two tried their best to clean up the stinky alcoholic mess on the carpet, and they did so in complete silence. A long, awkward silence.

Regretful tears began to sting her eyes. Oh, great…crying wouldn't solve the problem; she knew that! She couldn't let Reno see the tears welling up. He'd think her too soft…too soft to be a Turk…

This short period of lamentation was interrupted by the telephone. The ringing drowned all thought, and Aphrodite's brain screamed at her, "_Get the phone! Get the phone!_"

And that was just what she did. The slum-girl dashed and dove onto the couch, yanking the phone receiver from its cradle and punching the "Talk" button. She ignored Reno's surprised expression, gasping a breathless "Hello?" into the phone.

"Hello, is this Miss Aphrodite Sorrows?" said a cool, female voice.

She nodded, but then realized that her gesture could not be sent through a telephone line. "Yes, this is she. May I ask who's calling?" She inquired, glancing over at Reno's still, stunned figure.

"This is Henrietta Strasbourg, Mr. Heidegger's secretary. I am calling to let you know that you have been accepted for the available Turk position."

Aphrodite froze. "I…I…I…t-thank…you…"

She _made _it! Yes! Yes! She was going to be a _Turk_ now! Yes! She made it! She—

"You can come by tomorrow to receive your materials and do a little training," Ms. Strasbourg's voice interrupted her silent rejoicing. "You'll learn the details from Heidegger and Tseng. Thank you for your time, Miss Sorrows."

"Y-yes…thank you as well…" she trailed off, but the secretary had already hung up. Aphrodite dropped the receiver, gaping at Reno with teary eyes.

"What, 'Dite?" he finally asked, standing up. He seemed to forget the dried wine on the carpet, staring expectantly at her.

"I…made…it…" She whispered, letting the pending tears flow freely down her cheeks. "I _made _it!"

"You mean…"

"YES! Yes, Reno! I made it! I MADE IT!" She shrieked with glee, catching him off guard. "All thanks to you! Oh, Reno, I could sing!"

"Don't," he advised, smirking nonchalantly. He flipped his bangs, looking unfazed. Wasn't he happy for her? Aphrodite didn't want to think otherwise.

"Thank you so much, Reno! I'd serenade you with opera if I could!" Aphrodite beamed, hopping off the couch and scurrying to him.

"Oh, no…here comes Taurus the bull…" he mumbled as the slum-girl tackled him to the floor, smothering his face with purely thankful kisses.

**-**

"Welcome to the Turks, Miss Sorrows," said Tseng, the leader of the Turks.

Aphrodite and the black-haired Wutain man strode into the Turks' storage room. Tseng rummaged through an organized stack of boxes, labeled with either an "S," "M," "L," or "XL." She tilted her head.

"Um, what are you doing, Mr. Tseng?"

"Ugh, don't call me that. And don't question me," he snapped, and looked her up and down. "What size are you?"

Aphrodite blinked. "I-I'm sorry, sir," she apologized, lowering her eyes briefly. "Size…?"

"Clothes size. Is that not obvious?"

"O-Oh," She mumbled, flushing. She glanced down at herself. "A…'Medium.'"

Tseng's dark eyes sized her up disbelievingly, and he arched an eyebrow. He took a box labeled "M." "Medium? But you're awfully thin."

Aphrodite looked up and placed her hands on her hips. "Very thin, yes, because of food shortage in the _slums_," she said, placing extra emphasis on the last word. She was getting a tad defensive. "I ask for a 'Medium' because I have Taurean curves, even though they're not very visible in these clothes."

Tseng scowled at the new Turk recruit, and shoved the white box into her arms. "You needn't explain. Well, in the box is your Turk uniform, including the dark glasses. And here is your gun. We'll teach you all the know-how of Turk life." He tossed her the pistol.

She clumsily caught the weapon with her left hand and blinked down at the white box. Her very own suit and gun! Now she was officially a Turk. Unable to hold it back, she felt a wide, toothy grin spread on her lips. She made it. What triumph!

The young woman looked up, beaming at Tseng. "Thank you! When do I start?"

He held up his large hands, shaking his head. "Not yet. You need training first, and then you'll be a fully-fledged Turk. Come along, Miss Sorrows." The man began to leave out the door, beckoning her.

She nodded, obediently following after Tseng. She was on her way to a new life. The life of a Turk.

**-**

Aphrodite grasped her new pistol with her left hand, focusing on the target before her. It was a human dummy several feet away. Focus, focus… She felt their eyes on her: a Shin-Ra employee, Tseng, and Heidegger. She couldn't screw up here…

"C'mon, shoot," she mumbled to herself, narrowing an eye to gather her concentration. Aphrodite focused on the seven bulls-eye targets located on the dummy. She had to shoot each of those targets to test her use of a gun.

She took a deep breath…

And she pulled the trigger, shooting seven bullets…

"Hmm…"

"Gyahaha!"

Aphrodite's eyes widened as she heard Tseng's thoughtful comment preceding Heidegger's stupid horse laugh.

Damn…she missed both arms and a leg. She bit her lower lip at this. But the others…definitely bulls-eye.

"Not bad, newbie! Gyahaha!" Heidegger threw his head back, slapping his enormous belly. Aphrodite watched him out of the corner of her eye scornfully.

"Four out of seven. Nice hand-eye coordination. Pretty good for a new recruit," said Tseng, tapping his chin. The Shin-Ra employee sat at his computer, typing away. His fingers flew over the keys, almost a blur. He was probably entering data for a report. Tseng cleared his throat. "Alright, Miss Sorrows, can you use magic?"

"Call me Aphrodite, please," she said, swiveling around and nodding at them. "Yes. Magic happens to be my strongpoint…"

Heidegger raked his chubby fingers through his beard. "We need more magically-potent Turks," boomed his annoying voice. "What materia have you got?"

Aphrodite looked down at the materia slots in her watch and gun that she had filled. "Let's see…Restore-All, Earth, Poison, Destruct, Barrier, and Cerberus."

Their eyebrows shot up.

"Nice. And Cerberus is…?" questioned Tseng.

"A summon," replied the young woman automatically. "I have the only Cerberus materia."

Aphrodite could tell that Tseng was wondering how she had come across the one-of-a-kind summon materia, but he didn't ask. Neither did she explain. "Would you like me to demonstrate my magic?"

"Nah," chimed Heidegger. "I can tell yer good enough! But one thing, Abigail—"

"—Aphrodite."

"Don't interrupt me!" snapped the green teddy bear at Aphrodite. "Alright, newbie. You can be all happy about your new job with us, but remember one thing. Being a Turk ain't happy-go-lucky utopia. Yer gonna kill people, and yer gonna steal and kidnap. You don't let your ethics, beliefs, or emotions get in the way. You're one of us now, Sorrows. Got that?"

Aphrodite recognized Heidegger's point. Reno had said something very similar back at his apartment, and she was glad that he had told her beforehand what it would be like. She wasn't completely ignorant. She silently thanked him in her mind.

The slum-girl nodded; stood stick-straight, and performed the Turk salute Reno had taught her sometime ago. "Yes, sir. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you."

Heidegger nodded, patting his belly. "You start the day after tomorrow, Monday. You get yer paycheck Friday. Those first few days, you probably won't get any _big _missions, so don't expect a lot this week. Mostly training missions are what yer gettin'."

Aphrodite nodded again. "I understand, sir."

"Good, then! Again, welcome to Shin-Ra, Sorrows! Gyahaha!"

She twitched as Heidegger left, his head thrown back and that terrible horse laugh echoing off the training facility walls. Tseng stepped forward.

"All right, then, Aphrodite," he began. "Tomorrow night at seven, the Turks will celebrate your arrival with dinner at Guayaberas, an upscale restaurant a few streets from the building. Wear your full uniform. You might want to get a haircut, too," he said, eyeing her elbow-length curls. "Turks are recommended to keep their hair shorter than chest-length."

Aphrodite nodded once more. Nodding seemed to be her talent at the moment. A haircut? Oh, boy…all that hair… She remained silent, anticipating more words from Tseng.

"We'll see you tomorrow night. As I said before, welcome to the Turks, Aphrodite Sorrows." He ended his announcement with a noble Wutain bow, and gave leave.

**-**

(A/N: Eep, I think this chapter came out a little longer than I wanted it to be. I needed to flesh it out a little more, heh. Oh, as a note. There is good reason behind Aphrodite becoming a Turk. It's not some spontaneous thing I came up with for no good reason. You'll all just find out later on as the story progresses. Well, I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 8!

Ducky)


	9. Bombing at Three

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. It belongs to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, though.

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry this update took so long! I'm going to be honest and say that life and school really did take over. That resulted in a diminished interest in finishing Chapter 9. I've been having a bit of writer's block, too. Forgive me for that. Thanks, everyone, and enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 9: Bombing at Three**

"Greensleeves was all my joy, Greensleeves was my delight… GAH! THAT'S HOT!" 

The shower's lukewarm water suddenly rained upon Aphrodite a scalding, steamy rainstorm. Her singing abruptly ended, and she sprung back, almost falling through the shower curtain. "RENO! Why did you flush the freaking toilet?"

"Oops! Sorry, babe," called the Turk. "I was pissin' my pants! I couldn't help it. Your voice is lovely, by the way."

She mustered up her last ounce of courage and dashed through the hot rainstorm, yanking on the cold-water switch and turning down the hot water. If only he had two bathrooms, so he wouldn't have to intrude because of a full bladder! "You could have just peed on that plant in your living room! I'm sure it needed watering!"

Reno snickered.

Aphrodite sighed with relief and ignored him as the shower cooled. After _that_ boiling storm, the cold beads of water trickling down her skin were quite refreshing! She washed out the conditioner in her hair, sputtering out the droplets of water in her mouth. "Watch it next time you have to pee and I'm in the shower! I've gotta get to my salon appointment. Are you done with your business?"

"Uh-huh."

"THEN GET OUT OF THE BATHROOM! WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?"

She heard him scramble out, and Aphrodite couldn't help but giggle. At least he had the decency to not open the shower curtains!

* * *

Carlos, the hairdresser, smelled of shampoo, but Aphrodite couldn't tell what kind. Coconut, perhaps? She braced herself and gazed worriedly at the pair of scissors that threatened her long, frizzy locks. 

"All that hair has to go, dear. And you need an intensive curl treatment," he said as he snapped away at her mane. "I'm going to bring your curls to life."

At that statement, Aphrodite imagined her locks suddenly springing to life like snakes. She gulped.

After several minutes, Carlos exclaimed with great enthusiasm, "There!"

Aphrodite chewed her lower lip, feeling the fumes from the curl-cream burn her eyes. "Can you turn the chair around, so I can see myself?"

"'Course," said the hairdresser, smiling triumphantly. He removed the leather cover from her. "You'll love your hair, dear."

Air rushed into Aphrodite's face as Carlos spun the leather chair round. She closed her eyes for a second, and then opened them to see her reflection.

Oh, holy! Was that _her _hair?

Short, bouncy curls framed her face. They had volume! Life! Fullness! The widest grin in Midgar spread upon her face; she pulled on a curl, and once she let it go, it bounced playfully against her face.

"Speechless, aren't you?" The hairdresser smiled. He held out a bright green plastic bottle to her. "You just need this intensive curl treatment. Your curls are a little worn out, _very _tangle-prone, and frizzy. Just use this each time you wash your hair. Don't use too much shampoo; just a gentle moisturizing conditioner."

She nodded and stood, brushing stray hairs off her clothes. "Thank you so much, Carlos. I'll be sure to do that. How much must I pay?"

"No, all of this is free! Shin-Ra employees have that privilege."

She raised her eyebrows. Free haircut! Reno was right; being a Turk _did_ have its advantages. "What a nice surprise!" Aphrodite beamed. She had come to the salon dreading that she'd have to pay. The little gil she had was hardly enough for anything. "Thank you again, Carlos. I'll be sure to follow your advice."

The hairdresser nodded and smiled, his little dark eyes squinting in delight. "Don't leave yet! Carla, the make-up artist will be with you now."

Aphrodite froze. "Make-up artist?"

"Yes, she'll be here." He raised an eyebrow. "Don't you like make-up?"

She thinned her lips. "I don't wear it."

"How can you _not _wear make-up?" said a feminine voice behind her.

She spun around to find herself face-to-face with a woman with heavy eye make-up and bleached blonde hair. Aphrodite's lips became thinner.

"So, you're the new Shin-Ra employee, Aphrodite Sorrows?" said the woman, nodding at Carlos, who strode to his next client. She smiled diplomatically.

Aphrodite attempted a smile of her own, but it became a weak grimace instead. "Yes. Um…do I _really _need make-up…?"

"Oh, don't sound so reluctant, dear!" The woman ushered her back into the chair, observing Aphrodite's face with narrowed blue eyes. "Your face is too plain and much too pale. Let's bring it to life."

Argh, that woman, watching her like a vulture! Aphrodite felt like a poor dead rabbit, a victim of the vulture. So, too plain, was she? Hmph!

The make-up artist fumbled at the dressing table with lipsticks, blushes, glosses, eyeliners, and eye shadows galore. So many colors! Aphrodite was dazzled. The woman turned back to her, pursing her red clown lips.

"First of all, I'm going to even your skin tone with some light foundation and blush," she said, opening the two containers. "You're very pale, dear, but I can see that your natural skin tone is a little darker than fair, almost olive."

Aphrodite grimaced, shrinking.

"Oh, come on! Relax a little. Your eyes are huge; don't be afraid." The woman smiled warmly at her. "Sit up straight and hold your face up to me, so I can work easier. You're a pretty one, but you look worn-out and older than you really are. And you have such enchanting eyes. All the dark circles under them lessen their effect."

She bit her lip, and sat up with reluctance, lifting her face. She took a deep breath, and Carla the make-up artist began to bring Aphrodite's face to life.

* * *

Aphrodite tried to smile at her reflection in the guest-room's full-length mirror. She hardly recognized the clean, younger-looking woman who smiled back. Her face had _color _now, and the dark circles beneath her eyes were greatly reduced. In reality, the make-up was rather natural looking… 

At the salon, she thought the make-up would have been a disaster because of Carla's heavily made up face. Now she knew not to make quick assumptions. Carla had done a great job, actually…but the make-up felt uncomfortable on her face. She wanted to wash it all off, but that would be so ungrateful…

And sheesh! What wide hips, she thought, as she patted said area of her body. She turned to frown at her backside. She adored the blue Turk suit, but now she seemed to have curves and a butt because of it…

Oh, well.

Aphrodite found herself thinking about Reno as she fiddled with her materia. His cockiness _did_ bother her a smidgen, and she couldn't stand his perpetual use of cigarettes and alcohol, but she liked the redhead nevertheless. She knew he wasn't just a lazy, drinking, smoking, womanizing killer. She felt vibes from him that said, _"That's not all to me! I'm deeper than you think. Just try unlocking the door to my soul. You'll see."_

And that was unusual, she thought as she holstered her gun and strapped on her watch. Was Reno really okay on the inside? He always acted so cocky; so laid-back. But what if he was actually calling for help subconsciously?

"Oh, c'mon, 'Dite," she scolded herself. "You're thinking too much."

She sighed and adjusted her tie, propping her dark glasses on her head. "Let's see what Reno thinks…" With that articulated thought, she took a deep breath, straightened, and left the room.

* * *

Reno gaped as Aphrodite self-consciously entered the living room. His jaw dropped, and he raised his eyebrows, nodding his head in approval. She frowned. The Turk licked his lips and made a strange slurping noise. What was he thinking? 

"I don't like how the pants cling to my hips… I should have gotten a 'Large,' don't you think?" She continued to frown, first down at herself, then at the redhead.

"Oh, no, it's _fine_." He eyed her, continuing to lick his lips. He stood and sauntered over to her, grinning. "Let me see how you look from behind."

She gave him a suspicious look, but turned around anyway. "Does it make my butt look big?"

Reno chuckled. "Nice…" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, turned her around, and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Don't be so self-conscious, babe."

Aphrodite raised an eyebrow, highly suspicious now. What was he scheming? His hand trailed gently down her hips and stopped beside her backside.

"Eh, Reno…?" she squeaked, pursing her lips. "What are you doing…?"

The redhead nuzzled his face into her hair, grinning. "You smell so good."

"Eh…like what?"

"I dunno. You just smell good." Reno sniffed her curls, tapping his fingers on her hips. "Mmm. You're so yummy."

Aphrodite was silent. She couldn't find anything to say, and the redhead continued to relish in the aroma of her hair and stroke her hips. What was up with _him_? Sheesh…well, in all honesty, it did feel kind of good, but the moment was awkward, and—

Her thoughts were cut off by a most uncomfortable sensation. The redhead had squeezed her backside.

"RENO! YOU PERV!"

Aphrodite jumped as if she had been struck by lightning, and her hand flew for his face and slapped his cheek.

"Ow!" whimpered the Turk, twitching at the sting from her hand. "I was just foolin', 'Dite! That hurt…"

She gave him a filthy look, her eyes peering into his. "Don't you _ever _do that again. All that sweet-talking was just a ploy so you could squeeze my butt!"

He pouted and caressed his cheek, which now sported a red hand mark. Then a sly grin crawled up the corners of his lips. "Bet that's the first time anyone's ever grabbed your ass."

The blood rushed to her cheeks, and Aphrodite felt herself blush.

"Hah! So you're embarrassed," he said, sticking his nose up in triumph. He flipped his bangs. "Now we both have red faces."

"Whatever, Reno." She observed his clothes and frowned. "Where's your tie?"

"You're kiddin' me! I'm not wearing that crap."

Aphrodite pursed her lips, furrowing her brow and placing her hands on her hips.

"You look so cute when you do that."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Not only is your tie missing, but your shirt's not tucked in…your blazer's unbuttoned…your hair's messy…c'mon, Reno! This is supposed to be _formal_!"

"Oh, can it, 'Dite. I'm fine this way." The redhead flipped his ponytail and rolled his own eyes.

She crossed her arms, frowning. "Don't you care about me? This dinner is supposed to celebrate the new Turk recruit, and hello!" She waved her hands in front of his face and stood on her tiptoes. "That's _me_. At least show your respects!"

"'Dite," Reno began, taking on a stubborn and absolute tone. "I am _not _going to wear a tie. And you can't make me fix my blazer, shirt, or hair!" He crossed his own arms adamantly.

"We'll just see about that…"

* * *

"I _can't _believe you forced me to fix myself up." Reno glared at Aphrodite, leaning on the iron rail of his apartment's balcony. It had a handsome view: Cobbler Boulevard and its shimmering city lights was bright in the near distance. "At least you let me keep the hair…" 

She smirked, standing beside him. She adjusted the dark glasses she had propped up on her head, holding her curls back from her face. "You look nice this way." She eyed his loose tie and quickly tightened it before he could object. "Besides, Tseng would disapprove if you stayed all messy."

"I don't care if Tseng disapproves," said Reno, shrugging and flipping his bangs. Aphrodite was so damn persistent, coercing him to make him look presentable! Couldn't she just worry about herself for once? "This shirt is so damn uncomfortable tucked in." He grimaced and began to squirm, his fingers shaking with a mad desire to un-tuck the shirt.

"No, no, Reno-bear!" Aphrodite grinned mischievously, batting at his fingers. "No un-tucking of the shirt!"

He stared at her for a long moment. "You called me Reno-bear."

"I was teasing!"

Reno shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Whatever." He looked outward, furrowing his brow in thought. How had this all happened? Bumping into Aphrodite in a Wall Market alley a month ago, coming to see her at Sector 5, taking her up the plate to Sector 7, sharing laughs down Cobbler Boulevard, fighting thugs, landing themselves in the hospital for days…Aphrodite fighting with Ares and moving in with Reno, himself training her for Shin-Ra…Her eyes bright upon learning of her acceptance into the Turks…the scenes all replayed themselves in his head. Aphrodite… now why did that name seem so familiar? He felt as if he knew the girl long ago… But he _hadn't _known her before Midgar… had he?

He shook his head, his fiery bangs flicking about. Enough contemplation… He turned to observe the watch on Aphrodite's wrist and the gun in her holster. "Hey, 'Dite…where'd you get all that materia, anyway?"

She grinned like the Cheshire cat at his question, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Reno stared. "You…_stole_ them?"

Her grin only widened.

His eyes grew huge. What shock! Wow, she wasn't as innocent as he thought she was… Sure, he'd know her stealing bread and apples, but _materia_? "Where'd you steal it from?"

"Materia shop in Sector 5 that I used to work for about a year or two ago. Didn't steal Cerberus, Earth, and Destruct, though." She sounded very nonchalant, that sly grin still on her freckled face.

His eyebrows shot up. "You're a paradox, 'Dite." He smirked, shaking his head.

"Yep, I'm just full of contradictions!" She ran a hand through her short curls, smiling at the redhead. But then she tilted her head, gazing into his eyes inquisitively. "Hey, Reno… Remember that bottle of wine I destroyed the other day?"

He nodded apprehensively, looking away. What a marvelous time to bring that up! Too bad she hadn't forgotten…

She placed a finger on her chin, pursing her lips. "What _were _you planning on using it for, anyway?"

Reno glanced shiftily at Aphrodite, running a hand through his bangs. What would she say? "Well…I was saving it for a—"

The noisy doorbell cut him off, chiming from inside the apartment. Aphrodite blinked. Reno dashed past the open balcony door to answer it, and she scuttled after him. Saved by the bell!

The redhead flipped open the door, and in the doorway stood a giant bald man, his eyes concealed by dark glasses.

"Hey, Rude," said Reno, nodding and stepping back as the visitor stepped into the apartment. Aphrodite just _had _to catch him off guard with that question… It made him so nervous. He flipped his bangs, knowing he had to act as if nothing nerve wrecking had happened, so Rude wouldn't worry or something of that nature.

"Ready to go? Limo's waiting," said Rude, sounding emotionless.

The redhead glanced over his shoulder at Aphrodite, who stared in amazement. She seemed awestruck, learning that they'd go in a company limousine. "Yeah. C'mon, 'Dite."

Rude looked over Reno's flaming head of hair, his thin lips forming a straight line as he sized Aphrodite up. "I remember you, slum-rat."

"C'mon, go easy on her, Rude. She's a Turk now."

Aphrodite sighed, and slid her shades over her eyes, hiding the windows to her soul. Reno frowned. She looked better without the shades…

* * *

Dinner at Guayaberas with the Turks went rather well for the slum-girl. Reno and Rude got themselves tipsy on margaritas while Tseng and Aphrodite chose sobriety, focusing on their food. (Those fried plantains were delicious!) She spoke little for fear of embarrassing herself in front of her superiors. Reno seemed rather cheerful (could it have been the margaritas?), but every time Aphrodite caught his eye, his eyebrows quivered nervously. What had he been thinking? And sheesh, why was he being so nervous? 

Aphrodite rolled over in her bed, pulling the dark red sheets to her chin. She couldn't sleep…tomorrow would be her first day as a Turk, and insomnia had struck! She gazed at the shadowed walls of Reno's guest bedroom, her short curls spreading out on the pillow beneath her head.

"Oh, if only I had a Seal materia so I could cast 'Sleepel' on myself…" She mused aloud, hugging the sheets close. She glanced at the digital clock on the nightstand. Four in the morning. Oh, dear…it was late. Or early…? What a paradox!

Sighing, Aphrodite tossed off the sheets, and slid into her slippers, wrapping her green robe round her night-gowned figure as she left the bedroom, on her way to the kitchen. Her stomach growled, and she giggled, flipping on a lamp. And then she raided the fridge.

"Let's see…beer…? Some other stuff too…" She wrinkled her nose and opened the freezer door to see what sweet treats waited to be devoured. "Ice cream!" She rescued the container of ice cream from the chilly freezer, grabbing a bowl from the cabinet and a scooper from the utensil drawer. She grinned upon learning that the ice cream's flavor was Neapolitan. A flavor that suited Reno: three flavors for many different sides to the Turk.

"What the hell are you doing up? It's four in the morning!"

Aphrodite jumped, and the scooper she held soared from her hand. She swiveled around to see a barefoot, cranky-looking Reno with his messy flaming mullet (which was, surprisingly, not in its chest-length ponytail). She blushed, staring at his thunderbolt-patterned boxers and bare, lithe chest. She couldn't help but think that he looked attractive, even though it was late (early?) and he was groggy.

"You startled me!" She picked up the scooper and rinsed it off in the sink. "I can't sleep, so I came to get some ice cream… Doesn't that embarrass you: walking around shirtless in boxers?"

The bare-chested Turk snorted and grabbed a bowl and spoon for himself. "Not around you, sweet-cakes. Scoop some for me, too."

She felt the blood rush to her flaming cheeks. Much to her fortune, the light was dim, so Reno hopefully wouldn't notice… "Oh, shut up. What am I, your slave?"

"Yes."

Aphrodite smacked him upside the head. "Screw you! Get it yourself." Grinning, she filled her bowl with Neapolitan ice cream, plopping down on the living room couch. She propped her feet up on the glass coffee table and stuffed a spoonful of the gooey, flavorful substance into her mouth. Her teeth stung from the cold, and she shivered.

"Brain freeze!" Reno scooped his own ice cream, plunking beside her. He watched her chow down the chocolate side of her ice cream, smirking. "Don't eat so much chocolate. You'll get pimples."

"I already have pimples, Reno," she pointed at a zit standing out on her temple.

"I never noticed… Let me pop it for you!" He grinned mischievously, inching closer to her.

"No! Just eat your ice-cream, mullet-boy."

He frowned, but was then silent, filling his mouth with ice cream.

Aphrodite had another spoonful of ice cream, picked up the remote half-buried in the sofa cushions, and turned on the television. "Let's see what's on." She flipped quickly through the many channels. "Hopefully not porn!"

"Hey, wait! Go back two channels! I saw somethin'," said Reno, waving his spoon.

"'Kay." Aphrodite stopped on Channel 14, the Midgar News Station. She strained to hear what the anchor was saying. "Eh?" She turned up the volume.

They stared at the image on-screen: an exploding Mako Reactor. Reno's eyes widened, and they listened to the anchor's report:

"At three A.M., an hour ago, Mako Reactor No.1 exploded, killing hundreds of innocent residents… The cause is still under investigation, but the terrorist group AVALANCHE has been suspected of bombing the reactor… Shin-Ra has sent disaster relief to aid the injured…Many homes in Sectors 8 and 1 are without power presently... The current whereabouts of AVALANCHE are unknown, but Channel 14 will keep you posted on the case..."

* * *

(**A/N: **And there's Chapter 9! Please let me know if you've found any typos or errors of any kind, including factual. The ending of this chapter is, as you can see—with the destruction of the Mako Reactor—when the game has actually begun! So things are going to pick up from here on. I would love reviews! Please let me know what you think of the story so far. If you've got any suggestions, don't be afraid to say them. Thanks for reading! 

Ducky)


	10. Voices From Within

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. It belongs to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, though.

**Author's Note:** Wow, thanks for all the reviews, everyone! I was delighted. I tried to get Chapter 10 done quicker than last update this time for all my beloved readers. And I finally figured out a much neater way of showing breaks between scenes! I couldn't stand that horizontal ruler. xx I also uploaded a picture I drew of Aphrodite as a Turk on DeviantArt. If you want to see it, check out the link on my profile. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy Chapter 10! Things are gonna get really interesting. Thanks, and I love you all! Enjoy.

**Chapter 10: Voices From Within**

Aphrodite frowned at his car; the car he was using to drive them to work. It was scratched left to right; its red paint was chipping…and two of the windows were engulfed in bird droppings…

"Uh, Reno," she said, furrowing her brow as the redhead turned his pockets inside out, searching for his car-keys. "Aren't Turks supposed to have sleek, _new _cars?"

"Says who?" Reno pulled out his keys, finding them in his blazer pocket. "Just 'cause I get a nice pay… I've had this car for years, and it gets the job done, so why change it?" He unlocked his front door.

She shrugged. Well, he had a point. She reached for the handle on the passenger door, but the Turk got there first. He opened it for her, stepping aside so she could slide in.

"Reno, I am very capable of opening a door without your assistance…" She raised her eyebrows at him as she bounced into the passenger seat, smoothing her cerulean suit. She wrinkled her nose at the slight odor of smoke.

"Just bein' a gentleman, 'Dite," he said, slipping into the driver's seat and starting the car. "I figure you're different from other women."

"I'll take it as a compliment," said Aphrodite, and she hardly clicked her seatbelt into place when the engine crackled to life and the car zoomed out of the apartment building's parking lot.

"You're in for a wild ride, babe, so hold on," warned Reno with a grin, and the car sped and swerved through the streets like an ambulance during an emergency. Gads! He didn't even wear a seatbelt!

Aphrodite's eyes widened; she ground her teeth and held on to the edges of her seat for dear life. What a reckless driver! How could he have passed Drivers' Ed…?

"RENO! STOP THE CAR! YOU'RE GONNA RUN OVER THE POOR OLD WOMAN!"

He hit the brakes, and the car squeaked to a halt inches from an elderly woman who crossed the street like a tortoise.

Aphrodite gave the Turk a filthy look, furrowing her brows. "You drive like a drunk driver, and you're _sober_!"

Reno flipped his bangs and crossed his arms. "Well, do _you_ wanna drive?"

A brief silence fell, but then she digressed, coughing. She _hated_ driving... She stared through the front window at the woman hobbling over the asphalt with a cane. "Why don't help you that old woman across the street so we can just go? We're gonna be late…" She glanced down at her watch in anxiety.

"No."

"Argh!" Aphrodite threw up her hands in frustration. "You're such an ass! Sometimes I just want to—grah!" She finished with the wordless noise, pounding her left fist repeatedly into her right palm. Oh, how she wanted to give Reno a nice blow to the head!

Reno only chuckled at her reaction. At last the ancient pedestrian reached her destination, and the redhead floored the gas pedal.

"Oh, you're just doing it to annoy me!" Aphrodite buried herself deep into her seat, digging her short fingernails into her seatbelt. "This just amuses you! I'm doing exactly what you want me to do, aren't I? Getting angry?"

"Yep."

And that was all she really got from Reno until they arrived at the Shin-Ra building. Aggravating one-word answers.

.----.

The mechanical door before them slid open, a cool female voice droning, "66th floor." She loved the sensation of her stomach rising when the elevator rose. It was like being lifted off the ground.

"Oh… The Turk offices are on this floor?" Her eyes darted about in curiosity.

Reno nodded, sauntering towards a remote hallway. He stuffed a hand into one of his pockets and slouched. "Yeah, s'over here."

Aphrodite followed after him, her posture the exact opposite of Reno's: upright. They strolled down the long hallway, and the redhead stopped at the second door to the left. A brass plate adorned the door, golden letters upon engraved, "Takeshi Tseng." He went ahead and opened it—without knocking! He entered Tseng's office, gesturing at Aphrodite to follow suit.

"Ah, I figured it was you, Reno."

Tseng rose from his seat behind his large desk, and nodded at Aphrodite. "Good morning to you two."

The young woman attempted a smile, not sure what to do. She nodded and bowed, trying to look collected. "Good morning to you as well, sir. I'm sorry about Reno bursting in like that…" She straightened, but she felt her underwear ride up. Oh, dear… What a wonderful time to get a wedgie! She squirmed and tried to ignore it, the smile strained on her face. How embarrassing…

Tseng held up a hand, shaking his head. "No need to apologize. Reno, what do you need? I have a task for Aphrodite."

She raised her eyebrows. A task?

The red-haired Turk shrugged, his hands in his pockets. "Just droppin' her off."

"Well, don't forget to file your report, Reno," said Tseng.

She noticed a grimace tugging at the corners of Reno's thin lips. He only nodded briefly, and turned to leave. "See ya, Reno." She waved after him, attempting a smile. He nodded again—this time at her—and left the office.

He was acting a little strange… Too silent. Almost like Rude! Or was that just the way he acted at work?

Aphrodite turned her attention back to Tseng. "What is my first assignment, sir?"

"Have you heard about the explosion of Mako Reactor No. 1 that occurred around 3 AM earlier?"

She nodded, silently exploding, like the reactor, with curiosity. She was itching to know what he wanted her to do. "Yes. What of it?"

Tseng cleared his throat and thumbed through a stack of paper on his desk. "This assignment won't be very dangerous. Investigate the bombsite. Gather any evidence you find there; observe the situation. Take notes. And then write a double-spaced report on what you found. I want it at my office before you leave for the day."

Aphrodite's eyes widened. What a mission! And so early! "But…"

"Don't question your duty, Aphrodite. Just follow orders." Tseng cut her off, peering at her with solemn, dark eyes.

"I'm sorry, I will… alright, then, Tseng… may I call you Tseng?"

"Yes."

"Oh, okay. Well, Tseng, will I need a partner for this partner for this mission?" She tilted her head.

Tseng was silent a moment, but then cleared his throat again. "Two Shin-Ra SOLDIERs shall accompany you to ensure your safety. They await you in the lobby. If you encounter members from AVALANCHE, don't hesitate to use force."

Two bubbles, one of excitement, and the other of guilt-filled fear welled up in her chest. The two bubbles of emotion fought each other in a fierce battle, and Aphrodite felt both excited and guiltily afraid. But she hid those emotions behind a nod and Turk salute. She was a Turk now: these emotions could not keep her from her duty. She lived a new life now, and nothing barred her from it.

"Yes, sir! I'll be sure of that." Aphrodite said, the bubble of excitement conquering the other. Her first mission!

.----.

"So, you're the new Turk, eh?" said one of the two Shin-Ra soldiers accompanying Aphrodite on the mission. The three sat in the backseats of a company truck.

The young woman—who had been staring out the window as the truck traveled up the No.1 Reactor road—turned her face and blinked at the soldier. "Indeed."

"Hm, well, I'll be! Shin-Ra hasn't had a woman in the Turks for years." The SOLDIER crossed his arms. If he didn't have that SOLDIER mask on, Aphrodite could probably see him raising his eyebrows. "I'm Alfred Baxter. Just call me Baxter."

She nodded vaguely. "Pleasure. I'm Aphrodite…Sorrows."

"Aphrodite?" he repeated, tilting his head. "Sounds familiar."

"She's the Goddess of Love, if that's how you think my name is familiar."

Baxter shrugged. "I know that. But I don't think that's it."

Aphrodite shrugged as well, shoving that issue aside. She had an important mission ahead of her, and she couldn't brood on presently trivial matters. But she couldn't help asking, "How many years has it been since Shin-Ra had a female Turk?"

"A few. Around…Hmm… hey, Cole! How many was it again?"

"Thirty-ish," replied the other SOLDIER, who had been quietly sitting by.

Her eyebrows shot up. "Wow! That's a lot of time."

"Yeah. The company was all caught up in the Jenova Project at the time."

Aphrodite stared. "Jenova Project?"

Baxter shook his head and held up his hands. "Nevermind. You'll learn eventually."

She shook her head as well. "No! Tell me! And who was the female Turk?"

"Don't worry about that now," said Baxter. "You've got a mission ahead. Best not to occupy your young mind with that stuff."

Aphrodite frowned, knowing she had been defeated. She sighed and turned away.

Suddenly the truck's wheels squealed to a stop.

"We're here," said Cole, the other Shin-Ra SOLDIER.

"Up, now," said Baxter, and they stood.

Aphrodite shifted her holstered gun and stretched her arms. The truck's doors slid open, and the female Turk hopped off. She almost lost her balance, but straightened, looking over her shoulder. "Let's go."

The trio moved along the rubble-littered street, and Aphrodite looked up at the site where the No. 1 Mako Reactor once stood. Mission time!

"Oh, dear… those AVALANCHE are quite the motley crew," mumbled Aphrodite, scribbling furiously on a notepad. The smell of rubble wafted from the ruins. Crouched in the midst of dangerous metal-sheets and debris, the slum-girl jotted down messy notes and ignored the ache in her left hand from all the writing. "They can really bomb a reactor…"

"Hey, Aphrodite! I found something! Come look at it!"

The female Turk jumped up, tucking the pen behind her ear and gripping the notepad in her right hand. "I'm coming!" She jogged over to a large pile of rubble, where Cole stood. "What did you find?"

The SOLDIER held up a useless looking piece of junk.

Aphrodite raised an eyebrow. "It's just trash…"

"No, look closer," said Cole, and he shoved the piece of crimson metal into her arms.

At first it did not look special, but after she scrutinized the chunk of red-painted metal, she noticed something odd about it…

"AVALANCHE destroyed the Guard Scorpion."

Aphrodite looked up when she heard Baxter's voice; the SOLDIER had jogged over to observe the find as well. Curious… What was he talking about? "Guard Scorpion…?" She tilted her head slightly.

"Mechanical soldier from the Weapons Development Department," explained Cole. "Was on a mission to guard the reactor from intruders… They toasted it."

Aphrodite's dark eyebrows shot up. "They must be strong, that crew." She couldn't help thinking aloud, stroking the dented metal. "Shin-Ra shouldn't underestimate them." She set the remains on the ground and crouched again to take notes.

"You needn't worry," said Baxter. "The company will crush them like cockroaches in no time."

"I don't know about that…" she trailed off, once again scribbling vehemently into her notepad. A silence had hovered over the wreckage site, but now something was different… Voices…? Aphrodite lifted her head and stared straight ahead. Her eyes widened, and she began to point wildly, hopping up. "Look at that!"

A pale-green, sparkling cloud rose from a gash in the ground ahead.

And from that gash, ethereal voices whispered to Aphrodite. She ran towards the spectacle and kneeled, straining her ears to understand what the voices told her. Her eyes widened as she felt the voices resonating inside of her.

"Mistake?" She repeated to herself the words the voices whispered. They sounded somewhat familiar… "I've made a mistake…? What do you mean? _Salvation…? _What are you talking about? _Planet…dying__…_? I don't understand!" Aphrodite threw up her arms in frustration.

"Who're you talking to, miss?" Cole's voice broke through the female Turk's agitated attempts at listening and understanding the voices. Baxter just stood, staring in bewilderment.

"I hear…voices…but I don't understand!" She extended her hand to touch the pale-green substance rising from the gash. A strange energy vibrated from it, tingling the nerves in her hand.

"Voices? What voices?" Baxter scratched his mask. "I don't hear anything besides us."

"Neither do I," said Cole, and he stepped towards the cloud. "What's the green stuff? Are you okay, Aphrodite?"

She furrowed her brows, confused. Aphrodite shook her head, and her short curls flicked about. "Nevermind. Let's go in a minute. We're finished here." She picked up her notepad and once again jotted down a series of messy notes.

.----.

Tseng looked over the three double-spaced pages of Aphrodite's report. A concentrated expression of scrutiny tightened his face.

"Is it good? Did I do it right?" She gazed expectantly at the Wutain man, twiddling her thumbs in anxiety. She had decided to include everything in her report, along with the strange occurrence of the voices and the pale-green energy-cloud. She felt she had to; Aphrodite had been brooding on that all day: from her return to Shin-Ra HQ to this very moment. She didn't even take her lunch break; her appetite had evaporated.

"Not bad… Did anyone help you?" Tseng's lightly accented voice roused the female Turk out of her thoughts.

She nodded. "Rude helped a little… out of reluctance, might I add. It was my first time using a word processor…"

He nodded. "And you heard voices speaking to you, Aphrodite?"

She bit her lower lip. Tseng looked suspicious and just a smidgen concerned. She lowered her eyes in regret. Oh, she shouldn't have put that in her report… Why were the voices speaking to her again? Who did these voices belong to? Why, after so long…? It had been five years since Aphrodite had last heard them outside of Midgar…and in Nibelheim, no one ever told her what they meant… Not even Mother, Father, or Ares… Did Ares ever hear them, too?

She cleared her throat and nodded. "Yes, Tseng, sir. I…heard voices from that cloud, and I seemed to hear them inside of me… But Baxter and Cole, the SOLDIERs, did not hear them."

Now his face tightened even more. He set the report on his desk and his cold-coffee eyes focused on Aphrodite in a long, thoughtful gaze. "Have you heard them before?"

Should she tell the truth…?

"No," she fibbed. She struggled to keep a straight face and not look guilty.

But it failed.

"You lie," said Tseng, narrowing his eyes.

Damn! She could hardly ever pull off a fib… She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"Come along, Aphrodite," Tseng opened his door. "You must be tired. Go on home now. Remember to be here at nine tomorrow morning. I've set up your office across the hall from Rude's."

She nodded, feeling put out from her unsuccessful lie. To cover it up, she performed the Turk salute. "Good day, then, sir."

He only nodded as she left, closing his door.

"Hey, 'Dite."

Aphrodite looked up as she walked down the hallway. Reno was leaning on the wall, fiddling with his lighter. "Oh, hi, Reno. Let's go. I'm done…"

When the two Turks waited in the elevator on their way out of the building, the contraption went up and stopped on the 67th floor. Aphrodite raised an eyebrow.

"Ergh," growled Reno at the man who entered the elevator.

Aphrodite stared at the man in shock, her jaw dropping. Long black hair, a white lab-coat…

"You're…Professor Hojo."

The man looked at her curiously for a moment, but then a smug smirk curled the corners of his pale lips. "Indeed." Reno was silent as the scientist sized up Aphrodite, observing her as if she were one of his specimens. "You're the new Turk recruit Heidegger told me about, aren't you?"

Aphrodite nodded, but she was not smiling. That man… She knew for sure that she remembered him… But from where? She couldn't quite place her finger on it. She exchanged glances with Reno, who shrugged indifferently.

The elevator was around the 43rd floor when Hojo touched his chin, leaning forward to examine Aphrodite's face. "You look familiar, girl. You are Abigail Sanchez, correct?"

She stared. "Did Heidegger tell you that, Professor?"

Reno snorted, stifling a chuckle. "It's Aphrodite Sorrows, not Abigail Sanchez."

"Ah, I see… Aphrodite. A familiar name."

She felt uncomfortable under Hojo's belittling, scrutinizing gaze. He kept observing her as if she were his experiment. She wished he would just stop that!

Reno seemed to notice this as well, and he squeezed Aphrodite's shoulder. "I couldn't capture the Ancient, Hojo."

This statement diverted the scientist's attention, and he stared at the redhead. "No? Why?"

"She got away…" Reno sighed. Aphrodite stared. Ancient? "Some ex-SOLDIER helped her escape. I almost had her, mind you." He sounded bitter… She could hear the knives in his voice.

"Well, I suppose that only adds to your incompetence, hmm?" Hojo's deep voice took on a slightly amused tone. He stroked his chin.

A long silence followed.

Reno sulked with his hands in his pockets, looking ready to beat up the old scientist. But he did nothing, and Aphrodite knew why. Hojo was their superior… And still she stared, her curiosity aroused. "Ancient?"

The redhead leaned over to her and whispered, "I'll tell you later."

Hojo smirked. "Do you not know of the Ancients, girl?"

Aphrodite wrinkled her nose at the scientist's usage of the word "girl." It bothered her; she was not a girl anymore! Then again, compared to Hojo, she probably _was _a child. "Yes, I do know of the Ancients, Professor."

Hojo's smirk remained. "Did you ever know one?"

She was silent a moment, and again exchanged glances with Reno, who looked somewhat curious. "I… No."

Hojo looked suspicious, but said nothing of it. "Where are you from, girl?"

Aphrodite glanced nervously at the elevator display. 19th floor. "T-The slums, Professor. Sector 5."

"Sector 5, you say?" Hojo's coffee-colored eyes widened. He leaned closer, folding his pale, wrinkly hands behind his back.

She only nodded.

"Girl, did you know an Ancient that lived in the slums of your sector?"

Did he mean that woman who always wore pink…? Aeris Gainsborough, if she remembered correctly… Aphrodite had known her since she and Ares escaped to Midgar, but she had never attempted to befriend her. She sometimes found Aeris by chance tending the flowers at the Church, and Aphrodite had felt a strange, spiritual connection to her.

"Do you mean…Aeris Gainsborough?" she said uncertainly. Reno stared in surprise, his blue-green eyes wide.

"Yes, yes, her," said Hojo. His eyebrows shot up, his eyes twinkling in excitement. "Reno obviously didn't do a good enough job of capturing her…" At this the redhead looked sour, grounding his teeth. "Girl, I want you to capture her for me. You know her, so you might be able to coax her to come to Headquarters…"

Both Aphrodite and Reno's eyebrows shot up. Hojo? Giving her _orders_?

"Why do you want her here, sir…?" The young woman stared. She couldn't help asking…

"Don't question me!" snapped Hojo. "Just bring her here safely."

The elevator door finally opened, signaling the end of their conversation. Hojo only nodded, striding away in an almost frightening manner, his back crooked.

"Creepy old bastard, eh?" said Reno, smirking as Aphrodite gaped after the scientist.

"Definetely."


	11. Sidetracked

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. They belong to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, however.

**Author's Note:** I'm so sorry it took so long, everyone! I kind of lost motivation for a while… but I'm trying my best now to update and keep the story going. Don't get me wrong, I love this fiction to bits, but issues in life just sucked the inspiration out. Once again, I'm terribly sorry for this. I hope you like this chapter, folks! Enjoy.

**Chapter 11: Sidetracked**

"Thanks for coming with me, Reno," said Aphrodite the next day as the two Turks headed for Aeris Gainsborough's residence. The sun was absent as usual, and a foreboding gray sky of plate-metal hung above, looking as if it could fall any second.

Reno shrugged. Tseng hadn't given him anything important to do today, so he figured, why not accompany her on this little side mission Hojo had put her on? Maybe Aphrodite would do a better job than he did.

"Hey, there's my house!" she blurted out suddenly, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her previous home—the dingy cottage—in a deep niche of the main square of Sector 5's slums.

"Maybe it won't hurt to drop by," said the redhead, and he nudged her ribs playfully. "The Ancient can wait. Let's go bitch at Ares."

He sauntered over to the small cottage, slipping his hands into his pockets. He was ready to argue with 'Dite's brother again. It was a relatively amusing exercise, because Ares was so hotheaded and Reno always seemed to win their rows because of his coolness. A smirk curled the corners of his thin lips.

Aphrodite's unusually high-pitched giggle interrupted his thoughts, and the thud of her heels announced that she had followed him to the door. She suddenly cleared her throat and blushed, scratching her ear. Perhaps that shrill giggle had embarrassed her. "I wonder what he'll think now that I'm a Turk…"

"Dunno," said Reno, shrugging. He lifted a fist to knock on the door. "But he'll probably go through something medical."

She shook her head, pushing his fist away. "Maybe you shouldn't go in, Reno… I'll go by myself."

He opened his mouth to protest, but she had already knocked.

Aphrodite gave him a stern look, and for a moment, Reno had no clue why she was staring at him like that, but after she pointed at someplace over his shoulder, he understood. He grumbled incoherently and stomped off round the corner of the house. He stood close enough, however, so that he could see what was happening.

The door opened just as Reno had distanced himself, and Ares Sorrows stared at his sister in surprise. He blinked several times. "…Sis?"

Aphrodite smiled warmly at her elder brother and held her arms out to him, apparently asking for a hug. "Hi, Ares. It's been a while, hasn't it? I've missed you…"

The look on Ares' face was hard to decipher as he embraced his sister. He looked both happy and sad…and slightly resentful. "I missed you too, sis… But why are you wearing a blue suit…? That Reno loser isn't here with you, is he?"

Said loser twitched at the word.

Aphrodite didn't dare look at the corner where Reno was, but instead smiled up at her brother. "Let's go inside. I'll tell you everything."

Reno watched from afar, feeling out of place. It was a pretty sight, Aphrodite and her brother hugging. She was lucky; at least she had family that loved her… He sighed and lowered his eyes. How could he have taken her away from the only remnant of her family? Ares deserved her more than he did…

He watched the siblings enter the cottage, a hole in his heart. He moved to the side of the house and watched them from the window. They were entering the living room, and on the beat-up black leather couch sat a smiling young woman with a belly the size of a basketball. He arched a brow and watched the Sorrows siblings and the fat-looking lady converse. Aphrodite was patting the woman's belly and grinning, and Ares had that indecipherable look on his face again. He had never seen that woman before; maybe she was a friend of the family, like him?

Wait…_Him_? Friend of the family? Rubbish. Reno of the Turks was no friend of the Sorrows family.

He was jealous of them. He'd often deny having such feelings, but even subconsciously, he knew that he was jealous of Aphrodite and her brother. His parents never loved him, and he was an only child. Only his mother was alive now, and she was probably still selling herself in Sector 7's slums. "Damn her…" A severe wave of loneliness washed over him and he slumped down the wall of the house, turning his back on the window. He lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and glared at the little green Malboro mascot on the cigarette carton as if it were at fault for his sorrows.

"Forgive me, 'Dite," mumbled the Turk almost half an hour later, clenching his fists. Deep inside, he knew what he was sorry for.

"Forgive you for what, Reno?"

He looked up to see Aphrodite smiling down at him, holding an unusual weapon. It appeared to be an ornate brass-decorated gothic mace with a leather-wrapped handle.

"Nothing," said Reno, and he stood up, staring at the elegant weapon. "Where'd you get that mace?"

She continued to smile, and she held up the mace. "Ares just gave it to me. It was our mother's… It's the only thing we have left of her."

Reno frowned. He didn't know what to say.

"Oh," said Aphrodite suddenly, "and I've told Ares everything that's happened, that I'm living with you and that I'm a Turk and all… He still seems a bit bitter, but he sort of understands that I'm not a child anymore… He still hates you, though."

Reno laughed: a hollow sound. "Who was that fat chick in there?"

Aphrodite's eyes enlarged and her eyebrows shot up. She placed her hands on her wide hips and stared at Reno as if he had grown an arm on his forehead. "You were spying through the window!"

He grinned.

Aphrodite furrowed her brows. "Well, she is _not_ fat!"

"Then what is she?"

"Well, she's human…"

"No, I mean…"

"Oh, I _know_ what you mean!" Aphrodite threw up her arms in frustration, making a "grah" sound. "That was Frances Ann Borges, Ares' girlfriend. She's six months pregnant with my brother's child."

Reno stared.

Aphrodite bent her arms up and shrugged, keeping her shoulders raised. "Why are you staring at me like that? It's not like _I'm _the pregnant one!"

Reno just gaped. So the fat lady wasn't fat after all. She was just pregnant. With Ares' kid. And Aphrodite was going to be an aunt. Holy crap. "So big ol' Ares is gonna be a dad. And they're not…married?"

"Well," began Aphrodite, twiddling her thumbs. "Ares said he was planning to propose to Frances soon, but we haven't got much money, so…" She shrugged and looked down at her mace. "It's a long story."

Reno's eyes lingered on the mace for a few seconds, and Aphrodite's mother came to mind again. He looked up and gazed into Aphrodite's eyes solemnly.

"What happened to your parents?" He asked.

Her peaceful expression faded. She turned away. "They died, five years ago… Come on, let's go." Tension consumed the somewhat peaceful air.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Reno, and they began to walk again, but rather slowly. He couldn't capture a silly Ancient; he couldn't keep the peace with Ares or even himself; and he couldn't even keep a smile enduring for more than ten seconds on Aphrodite's face. He couldn't do anything right these days.

"Ya know," he began, frowning at the pained expression on 'Dite's freckled face. "My dad died a few years ago, too, but my mum's still alive."

"Really?" said Aphrodite, looking up at the redhead. The look in her gray-green eyes was mournful. "Where is she? Have you spoken to her?"

"Sector 7 slums," replied Reno, shrugging. "Sellin' herself to anyone she can find. I guess that's all she can do for money. I haven't spoken to her in three years."

Aphrodite's frown sunk lower.

Reno sighed. "Forgive me for asking this, but, 'Dite… How'd your parents die?"

"They died…" began Aphrodite, trailing off. She lowered her eyes and quickened her pace. "In a fire."

.-.-.-.-.-. 

"Aphrodite Sorrows? Is that really you? Dear, what happened to you?" Elmyra Gainsborough stared at the female Turk in alarm, her eyes wide.

Aphrodite and Reno stood in Aeris' house, and Elmyra seemed shocked at the slum-girl's drastic change in appearance and attitude.

"I'm a Turk now, Mrs. Gainsborough," explained Aphrodite, smiling delicately.

"Oh, my word." Elmyra looked ready to faint. She put a hand to her head. "But, Aphrodite, you were such a good girl…"

She digressed. "Mrs. Gainsborough, my partner and I have need to take your daughter, Aeris, to Shin-Ra Headquarters. Would she be here with you?"

"I'm sorry," said Elmyra, "but Aeris left a few hours ago. She went to Sector 6 with a young man named Cloud."

"Cloud…" Reno mumbled suddenly, and all eyes were on him.

"I see…" said Aphrodite, curious at the look on Reno's face. "Well, thank you anyway, Mrs. Gainsborough." She and the redhead turned to leave.

Once they were outside, Aphrodite tilted her head at Reno and gave him an inquisitive look. "Reno, you know Cloud Strife?"

The redhead shrugged as they retraced their steps through Sector 5. He stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Met the chocobo-head at the church yesterday. He's an Ex-SOLDIER, I think. The pussy ruined my mission."

She stared. The same Cloud Strife from Nibelheim? Could it be? He was still alive? Her eyes were wide and she suddenly remembered. "Oh, about that mission you had yesterday! What happened?"

Reno heaved a sigh, popping a cigarette from his Malboro carton into his mouth. He lit it, took a drag, and then pulled the cigarette gently from his lips. "I had to find and capture the sole surviving Ancient, that Aeris chick. She was at the church—and I almost had her!—but that damn spiky-ass helped her escape."

"Sole surviving Ancient…" Aphrodite's eyes widened as Reno inhaled another puff of his cigarette. She stopped walking and was now gaping at him.

"She's the only one left; the last one of her race, the Cetra, according to all the higher-ups at Shin-Ra," said Reno, and he arched an eyebrow at her shocked look. "Why, 'Dite?"

Aphrodite shook her head and her short curls flicked about. "Nothing. Nevermind. Hey, are we gonna follow 'em to Sector 6?"

"Nah. I'm tired. Let's go up the plate. I'm sick of this slum crap."

"Okay," said Aphrodite, concurring with a nod. "I'm tired, too. I worked tirelessly yesterday, and I need a shower…"

"Speakin' o' which, what was that 'task' Tseng had for you?"

The Turks headed for the niche that Reno had parked his car in, catching shocked and fearful stares from the slum-dwellers. Some pointed fingers at Aphrodite with wide eyes and whispered to themselves, but she tried her hardest to ignore them.

"He sent me with two SOLDIERS to the Mako Reactor No. 1 wreckage site to investigate the scene and write a report on what I saw."

Reno's eyebrows rose. "Whadja find?"

As they hopped into his rundown car, Aphrodite hesitated to answer while she strapped on her seatbelt. She did this very quickly, because now she knew about Reno's speedy, reckless way of driving. "Remains of the Guard Scorpion and…and…"

Should she tell Reno about the other…find? What would he think of her if she told him…? Surely he'd think her a bit wrong in the head…

"And what?" said the redhead, starting the engine and flipping the radio to some rap station. Erk, that repulsive noise…!

The annoying synthesizers, beat, and worst of all, the pointless rapping and cursing of tone-deaf voices pounded in Aphrodite's head. What a headache. She decided to change the subject ("Reno, how can you listen to that crap?") and switch to a random station. Once she saw the redhead open his mouth to protest, she popped her own mouth open with this evasive exclamation: "Oh, I love this song!"

And with that, she began to deliberately sing to the music.

"_In my field of paper flowwweeers_!"

Reno heaved a sigh as he zipped through the narrow roads and up a street ramp to the upper plate. He watched Aphrodite through the corner of his eye with arched eyebrows as the young woman sang at the top of her lungs.

"_And candy clouds of lullaby!"_ Aphrodite slapped her left knee in rhythm with the music. As long as Reno didn't try to ask her about what else she saw, she'd keep on singing, living in her own little world…

"_I lie inside myself for hoouurrrrs! And watch my purple sky fly over me…!_"

This deliberate singing continued as Reno zoomed his car through a labyrinth of streets, skillfully avoiding about ten crashes. He mumbled under his breath, "Geez, she's got some loose screws…"

.-.-.-.-.-. 

"'Dite, you're either crazy or there was something you really didn't wanna talk about back in the car," said Reno, giving the woman a bamboozled look. He watched her forage in his fridge, looking like an ostrich as her behind stuck out, rather emphasized by the boxers she had borrowed from him. "If I didn't know better, I'd have thought you were drunk… By the way, you have a really big ass."

"Shut up, Reno!"

The redhead didn't know what hit him, because right after Aphrodite's exclamation, he felt something sticky on his face.

"What the—" Reno ran to the living room mirror to see what Aphrodite had thrown at him. Giggles and taunts erupted from her general direction. Hopefully she hadn't done like a monkey and flung feces or something at his face… But where would she get that from, anyway?

Oh Lord.

Squishy pasta elbows and a gooey yellow substance clung to his face for dear life.

"Damnit, 'Dite! It's that macaroni n' cheese you made the other day! Man, that stuff tasted like _shit_!"

Aphrodite bounced over, grinning. "Get a taste of your own medicine! I know I can't cook, and I'm well aware that my butt is about the size of your head—"

"_Hey_!" Reno protested. Oh, come on. His head couldn't be _that_ big…

"—but you needn't be so blunt and rude," finished Aphrodite.

"Get a taste of my own medicine, huh?" snapped Reno, furrowing his brows. Gah! She was being such a damn nuisance! "Well, why don't you get a taste of _yours!_"

And with that, he wiped half the cheesy substance off his face and smeared it all over hers.

Her eyes grew to about the size of grapefruit. Her jaw dropped.

"YOU COCKHEAD!"

The woman chased Reno around his apartment, shouting similar insults and incoherent run-on sentences. This went on for about five minutes before the Turk duo collapsed on top of each other on the living room, overcome with stomach-weakening laughter.

"What the hell are you two doing?"

Their laughing fits promptly died and Reno looked up to see Rude staring at them from the doorway. The bald man's eyebrows were twitching at their strange position on the floor.

"How'd you get in?" Reno was staring as well. So was Aphrodite, but she was blushing furiously. The redhead rolled off of her, grinning sheepishly.

"You left your door unlocked. Again. And you two have got some cheesy-looking stuff on your faces." Reno could see the slightest of scowls tugging at Rude's thin lips.

"Um, it's not what you see or think, Rude," squeaked Aphrodite, shrinking. She and Reno exchanged glances, and the redhead wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Aphrodite blushed and furrowed her brows at this. He just _loved_ teasing her like that.

"We were playing 'Tag,'" said Reno, winking at Rude. He helped Aphrodite up and flipped his bangs. He turned for a moment and yanked several tissues out of the tissue box. He handed some to Aphrodite, and proceeded in wiping the macaroni and cheese off his face. The young woman followed suit. "S'up, Rude. Come on in."

"I can't stay long," said the bald man. He crossed his arms and cleared his throat. "They've got a mission for you, Reno."

Aphrodite only hovered by, quiet as a mouse. Reno raised his eyebrows, heaving a sigh. "Another one so soon?"

Rude was holding a manila folder with the Shin-Ra logo as he stepped into the living room. He shoved the folder into the redhead's arms and nodded. "They wanted me to bring it myself. They're too busy, and it's urgent, they say."

"Urgent? Whoop-de-freakin' doo," mumbled Reno, wrinkling his nose down at the folder. Damn it. The life-threatening jobs just loved him, didn't they? He and Aphrodite exchanged glances again, and the curly-haired Turk opened her mouth to speak.

"Y-You don't want to stay a while, Rude? Have some t-tea or something?" She sounded frightened. Her vain efforts in straining to sound normal made it all the more obvious to Reno. Aphrodite tried too hard… Did she _fear _Rude? Hmm, pretty odd if she did. Rude would never hurt his coworkers, despite his cold, stoic exterior… Reno knew him well enough to deduce that. How long _had _they known each other, anyway? About five or six years?

"No." Rude adjusted his dark glasses and turned his head to look at Reno's Shin-Ra clock. "Should go now."

The redhead noticed a glint from Rude's ear. His various earrings caught the light and they shimmered like diamonds. Aphrodite was watching that, too, and she seemed entranced. Man, that woman liked shiny things.

After Rude left, Reno and Aphrodite plopped onto the couch, and the redhead opened the manila folder. "Wonder what kinda mission they're sending me on now…" he mumbled to himself, flipping past a page with the Shin-Ra logo.

"Shin-Ra Electric Power Company," Aphrodite read aloud the letters on the logo.

Reno stared. "You can read?"

"Duh." She rolled her eyes. "I _did _have an education before I came to Midgar, you know. Go on, I wanna read your mission briefing."

An education, did she say? In Nibelheim, probably. Why did she have to be so mysterious sometimes? She never spoke of her past, and it bothered him, in a way. Then again, he never said much about his, so they were sort of even… Reno stared down at the next few pages. They were illustrated with photographs of Midgar from above and of the Sector 7 Plate Support System. The two were quiet for a few minutes as they silently read the briefing.

The silence was deafening, but then Reno broke it with the softest of whispers.

"…They want me to drop the plate."

Aphrodite's eyes were wide with shock. "I…I can't believe it…! Why…!"

Reno shook his head. "Best not to question. According to the briefing, AVALANCHE's hideout is in Sector 7. In the slums. But why they'd wanna destroy the entire sector is beyond me…"

The slums… Sector 7… His home for years before his Turk days. His apartment. Mom. The people. They were all going to die.

They were all, as his neighbor—Johnny—used to say, going to go boom.


	12. Advocating The Planet's Killer

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. They belong to Square Enix. I do own my original characters and plots, however.

**Author's Note:** Apologies for the delay! Life continues to get in the way as well as writer's block. Well, as previously mentioned, Chapter 12 is not as lighthearted as previous chapters. The story gets more serious from here on as tension builds. I thank all my readers and reviewers for sticking with my 'fic as time goes on. I really do appreciate it! Thank you all. Enjoy.

**Chapter 12: Advocating the Planet's Killer**

The room was whirling… Everything was green… Her heart pounded in her ears… Her muscles jolted in spasms. She couldn't breathe; she was suffocating…

"Feeding time," said the familiar voice of the Shin-Ra nurse. Her rubber heels clicked quickly on the laboratory floor, but the footsteps droned and boomed in the girl's ears, echoing…echoing…

Aphrodite's eyes were only half-open, their lids immensely heavy. Still, she couldn't breathe, the cylinder suffocating her in this oppressive green gas…

She vaguely heard the nurse fumbling with the feeding tubes connected to the I.V. on Aphrodite's hand. The girl was youthfully senile; this green Mako gas polluted her brain…her mind…

She hardly felt the nutritional solution transfuse into her body, coarse in her veins…

"_**Destroy your cage…"**_

That inner voice…Jenova…Mother…?

Then a shriek of terror. The shattering of glass. Power… freedom… Power took her over. Aphrodite didn't realize she had destroyed the glass cylinder that kept her captive, the green Mako gas liquefying and flooding the floor like a river… She did not see the nurse dead on the floor, never to stir again. Aphrodite was half-conscious.

The laboratory was a blur… Was she alone?

A door slammed open.

"Aphrodite!"

Someone was calling her name… Who summoned her?

"Aphrodite! Are you all right?"

The girl looked up with a dangling head, as if it was too heavy for her neck. Her vision was blurred. She couldn't see. Aphrodite gazed straight ahead at the hazy figure standing before her.

"Sis! What happened? You're covered with that green stuff!"

Someone's hands were on her shoulders. She stared blankly at the tall, blurry figure before her. Trying to see clearly was like trying to navigate thick fog…

"Aphrodite! What's wrong with your eyes? Why are they red?"

The girl was still barely conscious as a pair of strong arms scooped up her small, weak figure. He ran like the wind out of this terrible place.

"Mother…"

"What did you say, sis?" Ares Hector de Travere glanced down at Aphrodite, trying to the best of his ability to dash up the hidden spiral staircase.

"I said, Mother…"

"I know you miss Mother and Father, Aphrodite. I do, too. But worry about yourself right now," said Ares, pausing as he reached the top of the stairs, bursting into the small bedroom that hid the staircase. "You look like a ghost."

Aphrodite mumbled gibberish that was absolutely impossible to understand.

Ares frowned. "You're so pale, sister. We have to get out of here…these people in the Shin-Ra Mansion are corrupt…"

"I wasn't talking about that Mother… I mean… _my_ Mother… the Mother who…spoke to me when Hojo…"

"Oh, Aphrodite! What are you talking about?" Ares sighed, his face sinking in frustration. "We don't have time for that now. We'll get caught if we're not careful."

Aphrodite let her heavy eyelids droop, her head lolling uselessly. The horrid Mako energy still infested her brain, and the green substance stained her white, old-fashioned nightgown. "Wait… I want… to say 'goodbye'…"

Ares soft-shooed across the floor, creeping into the hallway. "'Goodbye' to whom?"

"To that nice…SOLDIER…"

Aphrodite could hardly see Ares's surprised look. "Sister, we can't say 'goodbye' to the SOLDIER. He'll turn us in."

"No I won't," said another voice, and Aphrodite had difficulty trying to decipher to whom the voice belonged.

Ares swiveled around, Aphrodite's weak frame still in her brother's arms. "You." His voice was icy.

"Don't worry. Just take your sister and get out while you can," said the voice. Aphrodite suddenly realized who it was. The SOLDIER! The one who had taken her hand before leading her to the Shin-Ra Mansion, the one who had silently reassured her before Hojo injected the Jenova cells. "I'll cover for you. Hojo's a crazy bastard."

"Hey, Nevada! Who are you talking to over there?" called the voice of the second SOLDIER. It sounded distant, his voice echoing down the hallway from a small room.

"Myself," replied the first SOLDIER. He then turned to face Ares and Aphrodite. "C'mon! Get out already! I'm on patrol; no one else's around but my partner, who's in the tearoom."

Aphrodite looked up hazily at Ares, and he…was smiling! A genuine smile lit up his ashen face, and his piercing blue eyes were twinkling like sapphires. "You have our heartfelt gratitude, good SOLDIER. You're a rare man…"

Aphrodite's curls hung limply as Ares held her in his arms. She turned to look at the SOLDIER, and for the first time in over a week, she smiled. Her glassy eyes became gray-green again, and now she could see clearly. She couldn't see the SOLDIER's face under his mask, but somehow, she knew he was smiling. "Thank you… I hope we meet again, Nevada, if that's your name…"

"Last name," corrected the SOLDIER. He began to distance himself from them, as if he were silently bidding them good-bye.

Ares nodded at him and turned into the Entrance Hall, but then Aphrodite spoke again.

"Wait, Ares…!" Her voice was hoarse. She tried to look over her shoulder. It was a difficult gesture because Ares held her so tightly it seemed as if he let go, she'd vanish. "Mr. Nevada?"

"What," said the young-sounding SOLDIER, returning to them. It sounded more like a statement than a question.

Ares gazed down at the girl inquisitively, cocking a brow.

"Mr. Nevada…do you think you could…escort us out? I'll feel safer…" Aphrodite chewed her lower lip and squirmed in her brother's arms, silently asking him to put her down. He reluctantly obeyed—his brows knitted in uncertainty—and set her down on the wooden floor. Aphrodite tried to stand upright, but missed a step, falling forwards.

"Woah! Watch out," said Mr. Nevada, catching her as she fell. Aphrodite felt like a toddler learning to walk as the tall SOLDIER helped steady her on her feet. "Well…all right. I'll take ya two as far as the stream half a mile away, on the path to Cosmo Canyon. You're on your own from there."

"You must be sent from above," praised Ares, bowing gallantly. Oh, silly big brother. He always chose the odd moments to act like a prince.

Mr. Nevada shrugged. "I don't like Hojo. Poor girl…"

Aphrodite felt rather small. She lowered her eyes, furrowing her brows.

The SOLDIER turned to Ares and shook his head. "You, Travere, have no idea how horrible it is to watch him inject Jenova cells into an innocent survivor."

-.-.-.

The incessant ringing of a telephone was Aphrodite's wake-up call the next morning.

The young woman grumbled incoherently, grabbing the phone receiver on the night table beside her bed. Reno's guest bedroom was dark, and Aphrodite could hardly see as she growled "Hello" into the receiver.

"Hello, is this Aphrodite Sorrows?" said an annoying, somewhat feminine voice.

She cocked an eyebrow. "Yes. What do you want?" She barked, sitting up in her bed.

"This is the magazine Sports Midgar," said the voice. "We want to know if you'd like to pose for our next swimsuit issue."

Aphrodite stared at the blank wall as if it were the bothersome voice speaking to her. Swimsuit issue? Good Lord! How did these people know about her? How crazy…

"Uh…well…" she trailed off, not sure what to say. "Wait a minute. How did you find out my name and location?"

"Well…" began the annoying voice. It gradually started to sound less feminine. What the Hell? "'Cause I live with you now, woman!"

Aphrodite at once recognized that suave voice.

"RENO!" She yelled into the phone, and burst out laughing. She rolled over in her bed, and found she was tangled in her sheets like a spider's prey in its web. "You asshole! You woke me up for nothing! What do you want?"

She could almost hear him grinning on the other line. "Oops, sorry, Sleeping Beauty," he snickered. "Actually, 'Dite, I'm over at Headquarters, prepping for my big mission. I jus' wanted to check on ya, to make sure you were all right."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, get real. You're not like that."

"You'd be surprised."

Aphrodite grinned and began to idly twirl the phone cord around her right index finger. "Sure you won't need my help?"

"No, 'Dite. I'll be fine," said Reno's smooth voice. "If you're going out, do me a favor and watch where you go."

Aphrodite frowned. He sounded a bit strange… "Reno, you sound worried. Are you going to be all right, dropping the plate by yourself?"

He sighed. "I won't do it alone; there'll be SOLDIERs to help out. Don't worry about me so much! You're not my damn wife."

Aphrodite shook her head. "Well, look who's talking… Fine then!" Reno always had to be so cocky! He never seemed to want her help… What, did she cramp his "style?" She furrowed her brows and ground her teeth, suddenly and deeply aggravated.

"'Dite, don't be like that," grumbled Reno. "I don't need or want your help."

She bit her lip. "Fine, go ahead, Reno. Why don't you ever want my help? What, do I _embarrass_ you? You're such a cocky bastard!"

"Aphrodite, c'mon," sighed Reno. He sounded troubled and impatient. "I have to destroy a whole fucking sector. I'm going to lose my apartment, and if you don't get out of Sector 7, I'm gonna lose you, too. Cut me some slack."

"Cut you some slack my ass!" screamed Aphrodite, pounding her fist on the night table. Her other hand clutched the phone so tightly her knuckles were turning white. "Go and destroy your damn old hometown, without my help. Go and get yourself hurt! See if I care."

And with that, she slammed the receiver down on its cradle before Reno could respond. Damn him! He could be such a…such a… ergh! Aphrodite was so angry she couldn't find any cruel words to describe him with.

-.-.-.

Only thirty minutes later, Aphrodite found herself throwing on her cerulean Turk uniform. Her short curls were damp from the shower she had taken, just sprinkling her shoulders. She couldn't stay here, alone in his Sector 7 apartment. What if Reno was hurt? What if he _did _need her help? Sector 7 would perish once he destroyed the pillar, so that meant…

She had to get out of here!

Aphrodite instantly began to sweat in anxiety, but she forced herself not to panic. Why hadn't she realized this before, when Reno tried to tell her? Why did she have to be so stubborn and unwilling to listen and think clearly?

If she stayed here, she was going to die!

The Turk grabbed her gothic mace, equipped her materia, and holstered her gun, dashing for the doorway. Before she left, she took one last look of the apartment and bid it farewell: "…Goodbye."

Aphrodite didn't want to think about the aftermath of all this as she took Reno's dingy car, driving (even though she hated it) as recklessly as the redhead down below the plate.

-.-.-.

It was chaos. Gunfire boomed from above, and terrified slum-dwellers either bawled in one spot or ran around in panic. The air stunk of Shin-Ra.

Aphrodite ground her teeth as she dashed into Sector 7, firmly grasping her mace. She glanced behind her at the shabby car she had taken and bit her lip. One of two Shin-Ra SOLDIERS trying to comfort residents stared at the young woman, and she went over, turning away from the car.

"Excuse me, has Reno of the Turks arrived?" She asked the SOLDIER.

He shook his head, eyeing her uniform. He seemed to acknowledge her rank. "No, but AVALANCHE has. Some reinforcements are at the top of the tower, trying to get rid of them, but…"

"Thank you!" She interrupted him, nodding and making a beeline for the plate support tower. However, a portly man with graying hair and a cherry vest stopped her and offered her a potion and phoenix down for 150 gil.

How silly of her! Aphrodite had forgotten to stock up on potions and phoenix downs. She had a few ethers, though, so she saved some gil, since ethers were costly items.

After briefly thanking the man for the items, Aphrodite turned to the tower, but someone else caught her eye.

Standing almost in the shadows was a haggard-looking woman staring her down.

The first thing Aphrodite noticed about the woman was her limp strawberry-blonde hair, hanging in a short chop around her pale, thin face. She was perusing the female Turk with familiar blue-green eyes, and her skeletal frame almost frightened Aphrodite. The rags she wore filled the role of clothes, but they hardly emphasized her worn curves.

Something about that woman's shining eyes kept Aphrodite from ignoring her. The female Turk found herself coming to the woman and asking, "Is anything wrong?"

The poor woman stared at the blue "T" badge with the Shin-Ra logo on Aphrodite's left breast pocket. "You're a Turk, aren't you?"

She could only nod.

The woman's chapped lips tightened, but her turquoise eyes were smiling. "I won't be here much longer. I don't know your name, pretty, but I'd like to ask a favor of you."

Aphrodite fought the urge to tilt her head. "Quickly, please."

"This won't take long," reassured the woman. "But please take care of my son. That is all I ask."

Aphrodite didn't know what to say to this woman whose eyes twinkled so brightly. Her son? Who was that? Yet nevertheless, she knew she could waste no more time. The female Turk nodded: a brief incline of the head, and she smiled. "I will."

As she began to run up the stairs of the plate support tower, Aphrodite thought she heard a faint call of gratitude echo behind her.

-.-.-

She huffed and puffed as she ran up the stairs, grasping her mace.

But someone stopped her in her tracks.

"Get out of the way," snarled Aphrodite, narrowing her eyes. Her blocker, a young man with a red headband that reminded her of a street fighter, held up his gloved fists.

"No," he growled at her, narrowing his own eyes. "You dirty Turk. You're siding with the company that's—"

"Shut up!" Aphrodite gritted her teeth. "You don't know what you're talking about, terrorist." She took a step back, and in the blink of an eye she switched the mace to her right hand. The AVALANCHE crony—like Reno had once done—braced himself for a right-sided assault.

"Terrorist, huh?" Snarled the young man. "We're bombin' reactors to save the planet from you life-sucking Shin-Ra! It's for the good of the planet!"

"I told you to shut up!" Aphrodite dodged a punch the AVALANCHE member threw at her. Her eyes focused on the left side of his body. Completely vulnerable, the fool.

The fellow ground his teeth, his red headband swaying gently. "That's you Shin-Ra lapdogs can do: Tell us to shut up!"

Aphrodite's eyes narrowed to mere slits. She didn't even think about what she was about to do. Some kind of outside supernatural force influenced her body, and her voice sounded raspier…

"I'll teach you to be quiet, insolent fool." Right in mid-sentence, the female Turk switched her weapon to her left hand, lunged forward, and swung the mace at the AVALANCHE crony. A sickening crack signified a deadly blow to the head.

She hardly had time to recognize the strength of her new weapon, for the young man blindly kicked at her. With a stroke of misfortune the kick succeeded on her ribs, knocking the wind out of her.

The AVALANCHE crony could no longer fight. Immediately after his kick, his severely cracked head began to sway as if it were too heavy for his neck. A thin stream of blood trickled from his mouth, and he gazed at Aphrodite with glazed brown eyes.

"You…" whispered his choked, dying voice. "You… Shin-Ra lapdog… You've made… a mistake…advocating…the Planet's killer…"

Aphrodite watched him utter his last words before he collapsed, hanging over the rail like a sack of potatoes. She bit her lower lip and her eyes stung with oncoming tears of guilt.

No! She could not feel sorrow for him. She tried to remember what Reno and Heidegger had told her…not to let her feelings block the way…

"You don't let your ethics, beliefs, or emotions get in the way," she whispered to herself, wiping the tiny tears from her eyes. She gripped her mace with her left hand, ignoring the blood dripping from its spiky, gold-tipped head. Aphrodite resumed her scaling of the plate support tower.

Advocating the Planet's killer…? She thought about the AVALANCHE crony's last words to her as she stormed up the many flights of stairs. He had repeated the words of the spiritual voices from the energy. But what did all these things mean…? How could she be siding with the Planet's killer?

Shin-Ra _was _just an electric power company…right?


	13. Forgive Me

Author's Note: I apologize profusely for the immense time it took for me to put up this chapter. Since the previous chapter or so, I have struggled with a deep writer's block and a lot of turmoil in my life, and thus my writing has been deeply affected. I don't know if my former readers and reviewers are still here to read this chapter, and if you are, please forgive me. You've all waited long enough for the cliffhanger from Chapter 12 to be resolved. So perhaps the title of this chapter has double meaning. Anyway, I would dearly appreciate reviews, for they help me go on, truly. The constructive, good ones, at least. Thank you, and I love you all. Enjoy this emotional, tension-filled chapter. 

**Chapter 13: Forgive Me**

Reno fiddled with his PHS, fidgeting in his helicopter seat. Destroy Sector 7…what a mission. He never had to demolish something so large in his life… Everyone above and below the plate was going to die. All of them… Including Mom.

And Aphrodite…? Had she escaped to another sector by now? Was she safe? The redhead shook his head, heaving a sigh. Why did she have to be so stubborn at a time like this? She should have just let him alone, because now…reflecting upon their argument, Reno wanted to punch something. In fact, he almost pummeled the helicopter pilot as he thought about it.

Aphrodite could be _such _a stubborn old bull sometimes.

"Hurry up, will ya!" snapped Reno, gripping his electro-mag rod. The pilot was already going nearly maximum speed, so the Turk didn't know why he told him to speed up.

"Reno, we're already going at maximum speed," cried the pilot. "Just look out the window. We're almost there."

The redhead glared out the helicopter window. Indeed, the Sector 7 plate support was right in his face, and invading the tower's peak were those damned AVALANCHE terrorists. Reno screwed up his face as the helicopter descended.

"You ready?" called the pilot, glancing at his passenger over his shoulder.

Reno ground his teeth and ignored the pilot, springing up from his seat. "Let's just get this over with." He only nodded, and as the helicopter hovered above the tower, the Turk leaped off, landing as gracefully as a cat on his feet. The noise of the vehicle faded as the helicopter flew away.

Three people turned their heads to stare at him, their eyes wide. A gigantic black man with a gun-arm, a woman with absurdly long brown hair, and that Cloud sissy. Damn those idiots! They were just obstacles in his mission.

That's right.

Obstacles standing in the way of his job. He only had to jump over these insignificant hurdles on the way to his finish line.

"Fools," mumbled Reno as he strutted past them with his falsely confident, cocky stride. The Turk glared down at the control panel, remembering his mission briefing…remembering Sector 7…remembering Aphrodite.

"You're all fools," he repeated, ignoring his thoughts and memories, his rough fingers punching the buttons on the control panel. "Only a Shin-Ra employee can operate these controls."

He heard the cracking of fists coming from the brunette's general direction.

"You're too late," continued Reno. He smirked at them and returned to the controls. "Once I push this button…"

"NO!" roared Cloud, bolting forwards.

Reno turned and grinned at them, drawing his electro-mag rod. "That's all, folks! Mission accomplished."

The black man's face contorted in fury, and he shook his left fist. Suddenly, Reno remembered him: Barret Wallace. The man he had heard so much about in confidential reports and newspapers. What an honor…not.

The three AVALANCHE members rushed forward, enraged. Haha, an angry mob! Cloud withdrew a giant sword that stood a few inches taller than him. It looked so heavy; how could he carry that ridiculously huge thing?

Reno's gaze constantly switched between them: the woman bracing her fists; Barret loading his gun-arm; Cloud gripping his sword dangerously. They seemed formidable, really…but they wouldn't mess with him.

The Turk slung his electric nightstick over his shoulder, tapping his foot in a quick rhythm. He was ready to fight.

"No one gets in the way of Reno and the Turks…"

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Ergh! Another Shin-Ra employee?" complained the voice of the AVALANCHE member before her.

Aphrodite narrowed her eyes at the tomboyish woman, whose junky garb and frazzled copper hair made her the spitting image of an army reject: just another obstacle standing in the way. Aphrodite was almost at the top of the plate support tower now, and she was determined (or tried to be…guilt and fear consumed the deepest depths of her heart) to eliminate all who stood in her way, especially these AVALANCHE cronies…

"Get out of my way—" snarled Aphrodite, gripping her mace. "—before you end up like your friend down there."

The horrid girls' brown eyes looked like giant chocolates. Her jaw dropped. "You mean…Biggs? You killed Biggs!"

Aphrodite tilted her head mockingly at her, smirking. "Oh, was that his name? It's too bad he's dead, but you know, he _was _in my way. So I had no choice but to kill him."

The girl looked ready to both cry and pummel Aphrodite, but as she was about to speak, the female Turk continued, "And now you're in my way, so I'll have to kill you, too."

"You dirty Turk!" The AVALANCHE girl mustered up her strength, and lunged forward to tackle her opponent. "Hellspawn! Planet killer! Remember my name as you die: Jessie McGowan!"

Aphrodite tried to push away these feelings of guilt and maintain her cruel façade. She dodged her lunge, and only chuckled as she swung her mace at the back of the woman's head. "Jessie? I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you'll learn the hard way…"

Aphrodite's mace collided with Jessie's head, and yet another sickening crack announced a severe blow to the head.

Jessie was weak, but she was stronger than Biggs, because she still put up a moderate fight.

Somehow Jessie had managed to give Aphrodite a black eye and a kick to the ribs (and that hurt) before the Turk extracted the blood and energy of life from her with another mace-driven blow to the head. "As I have demonstrated," growled Aphrodite, "No one gets in the way of Aphrodite Sorrows and the Turks."

"You'll…pay for…this…" the AVALANCHE crony managed to utter, slumping to the floor of the staircase landing. Aphrodite stared down at her victim, chewing her lower lip. Yet another soul…lost…returned to the Planet. "…You murderer."

Murderer… Murderer… Murderer… 

The words repeated themselves a thousand times in her head, first at a lethargic pace…then faster, and faster… _Murderer. Murderer. Murderer…_

Jessie's spirit left her body, and Aphrodite knew at once. It returned to the Planet.

"_My child… you have made me cry."_

Aphrodite just stood there, gripping a bleeding mace. The silent corpse before her…the rhythmic drops of blood. And then a scream in her head…

"My child…why do you follow the Crisis from the Skies?" 

She lost grip of her mace, and it fell to the floor, a horrifying clang echoing in the stiff air of death and imminent destruction.

The screams moaned on in her mind…

"Dearest child…why do you kill? Why do you ignore me?" 

Aphrodite began to slump to the floor, holding her head in her trembling hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "Planet…"

"_My child…"_ cried the voice of the Planet. _"Jenova has taken you from me…"_

"No, Planet…" whimpered Aphrodite, curling up on the floor, across from Jessie's still, silent corpse. "I've killed…of my own accord…I ignore my guilt, my fear…my pain…"

"_Oh, my child…" _the Planet's cries were so mournful. _"I have lost you…to the Crisis…to malevolence…"_

"No…Planet…!" cried Aphrodite, and she turned her flooding eyes to the sunless sky: a gray world of steel and iron.

Why not stay here? Why not stay and perish as the plate collapsed upon her, crushing her…devouring her in dulling steel?

"Planet…" Her cries and whimpers died to mere whispers. She ignored her minor injuries, for they were trivial things compared to her inner wounds. Aphrodite wept, silently trembling.

Yes, she would stay here… Death would set her free…free from Jenova, free from the Planet, free of emotion…free of pain…free…

Free…

Free…

Her eyes slowly closed with her drained energy, and she welcomed the doomed plate… She welcomed…

Death…

Freedom…

"SHIT! 'Dite, what the hell are you doing here?"

She couldn't see… She couldn't breathe… She was hardly conscious…

A pair of lithe arms scooped her up…

"Ohfuckinggods," he mumbled a slur of incoherent words. He was running, running…running…

And then a jump.

And the rush of air…

The steady hum of a helicopter…

The warmth of his arms…

Something wet trickled down her cheek. Was it a tear? Sweat? Warmth…was it blood? No, no, it didn't stick…

Who was crying now?

"'Dite…why would you want to stay there and commit suicide…?"

He wept…

"'Dite…"

More tears…

"'Dite… Sector 7 is gone. We're safe now…"

Helicopter…humming…more…tears…

"Fine, 'Dite… Don't wake up, then. I'm hurt too, you know…"

His rough fingers stroked her face, her hair…his tears still fell, flowing like tiny streams down both of their cheeks. Why did he remind her of Ares now? Reno was nothing like him, but he cared for her nonetheless…like a best friend or possibly a brother…

Right now, she needed that kind of love…that protection…that caring love…

"Forgive me, Reno…" she whispered, her eyes shut. She didn't want to open them… She didn't want to see him hurt, to see him crying… "Forgive me, Planet…forgive me, Reno… Forgive me…"

He gathered her into his arms like Ares used to do when she had a bad dream, and his warmth lulled her into a deep, deep sleep.


	14. Colouratura

**Chapter 14: Colouratura**

"_Mr. Nevada, look at the stars!"_

"_I see 'em, miss."_

"_Aren't they beautiful?" A younger Aphrodite beamed up at the SOLDIER sitting on the dewy grass beside her. It was a starry eve; Ares was snoozing nearby, and the three were about a mile away from Nibelheim. The water of the nearby stream gently rushed by._

"_Yes, they are…"_

"_Look, Mr. Nevada. Do you see that star? It looks so lonely…"_

_The SOLDIER turned his head to her. She looked so small and fragile. How did that young girl feel, having Jenova inside of her? She'd lost her home, her family, everything. All she had was Ares. She was lucky to have such a protective, caring man for a brother. "Lonely?"_

_The girl nodded, and though she has smiling, her gray-green eyes reflected a somber shine. "I don't think it has a name. Why don't we name it, Mr. Nevada?"_

_He stared down at her, surprised. "Why would you wanna name a star? It won't do any good."_

_She shook her head wildly, her light ash-brown curls flicking about. Her eyes widened. "Don't say that! Never say it won't do any good."_

"_But it's just a star," he said, shifting his weight._

"_To you; it's just a star, but to me, it's my little light of hope. Maybe it's just one star, Mr. Nevada, but all of these distant, tiny stars in the sky are what give us light at night, when the sun is on the other side of Planet." She paused and looked up at him briefly before staring back at the sky._

_He was silent, waiting for her to continue._

"_Without these stars and the moon, Mr. Nevada, we'd all be living in darkness. That star up there is lonely and nameless, Mr. Nevada," she pointed up at the star that seemed to flash a myriad of colors: white, red, blue, green, indigo… "So let's give it a name and make it our friend, so it doesn't die before its time."_

_What an odd girl…_

"_All right, we'll name it," he said at last, leaning back on the grass. She was so persistent!_

"_What do you think would make a pretty name for it, Mr. Nevada?" She asked, tilting her head up at the SOLDIER. "I think Coloura is a nice name, because of all the colors."_

_He furrowed his brow for a moment under his SOLDIER mask. "Tura, maybe."_

"_Tura? Why?"_

"_I dunno."_

_She grinned suddenly. "I know! Colouratura!"_

_He was a bit surprised, and his eyebrows cocked up. The Travere girl seemed so childish, yet so mature. She surprised him. He couldn't help but chuckle. "Colouratura. Not bad."_

_Her grin widened. "So! This star, hereby and forth, is now called Colouratura." She clapped her hands together, and her eyes were like lamplights: so bright…_

"_I'll try to remember that," he said, adjusting his SOLDIER helmet._

_Suddenly she tilted her head of thick, disheveled curls at him. She was a mess. "Mr. Nevada, you don't sound so old. Why don't you take off that helmet? I'd like to see your face, just once."_

_He drew back a little and shook his head. "No. Can't be doin' that."_

_He didn't want to show her his face. He'd be leaving tomorrow; it would be better for the both of them if the young SOLDIER remained physically anonymous. Truthfully, he didn't want her to remember him. _

"_Aw…" murmured the girl, pouting. "Is that a rule for SOLDIERs?"_

_He glanced about the peaceful plain shiftily, unsure of what to say. "…Yeah."_

_The mess of a girl frowned, and blew a stray curl from her sooty face. "Well, if you say so…" She yawned. "I'm so tired… I think I'm going to sleep. Good night, Mr. Nevada. Thank you for everything."_

_Once the girl was finally asleep, the SOLDIER stood up, holstering his rifle. As he began to leave, he took one last look at the sleeping survivors of the Travere family. They looked so fragile…_

_He paused for a moment. They would need to equip themselves for the dangers of the world. They were in for a long journey, and perhaps something would help comfort the girl on lonely nights. He removed his helmet and his silver watch from his wrist, perusing its four materia slots. Another pause._

"_This'll protect you," he whispered, strapping the watch around the girl's wrist. He set his helmet between them on the grass. "Good night."_

_Those were his last words to them until the next five years, and with a final, lingering glance, Reno Joseph Nevada made his way back to Nibelheim._

.-.-.-.-.-.

Aphrodite sat up.

"Where am I…?" she questioned the air, arching a dark eyebrow. She was sitting in a small bed in what seemed to be an infirmary. The cold air smelt of rubber, and she shivered from the sensation of that freezing air on her bare arms and shoulders, which were covered only by the thin, lacy straps of her white nightgown. More beds with milk-white sheets lined the wall. Sitting on the bed beside her, with his right arm in a sling, and bruises and bandages all over his body, was…

"Reno!" Aphrodite beamed at the redhead. She moved to jump and embrace him, but a sharp pain in her abdomen pushed her back.

"Hey, 'Dite," said the Turk, smiling weakly back. He looked worn and almost leathery. Aphrodite had difficulty recognizing him. "It looks like your black eye is healing; it looks better than it did before."

She blinked and touched her face, finding her bruised and swollen right eye. She had forgotten about the black eye that the AVALANCHE cronies had given her.

"We just can't keep ourselves out of danger, eh?" Reno joked dryly, glancing at his broken right arm. "Sucks that I'm right-handed. Now I gotta learn to use my left hand, so we'll both be lefties now."

She rolled over, gazing up at Reno. "What's wrong? You sound so sarcastic."

He shrugged, his blue-green eyes dull. "You didn't leave Sector 7 like I told you to."

Aphrodite lowered her eyes and chewed her lower lip. "I'm sorry…" She hadn't realized before how her actions would have affected him. She scolded herself mentally for being so irrational and foolish.

"What are you, suicidal?" he asked bitterly, his worn, youthful face tightening. "Why didn't you listen to me, Aphrodite?"

The word "suicidal" hurt her deeply. She shivered with the suicidal thoughts she had had right before Reno rescued her from the plate support tower. Aphrodite had wanted to die! She had just committed heartless murder, and had thought death would be her only salvation from the difficulties of life. She couldn't keep running away from the life she must live… She buried her face in her pillow, trying to hide the tears she felt coming. "I…I thought you'd get yourself hurt… I wanted to help…"

Reno shook his head, holding it in his hands. "'Dite, you can't just rush in like that if you want to help! You almost got yourself killed yesterday…"

"And what about you, Reno?" whimpered Aphrodite. She buried her face deeper into her pillow, rolling over so he could only see her back. She didn't want to face him. She knew her action was reckless and foolhardy, but… "What if you got _yourself _killed?"

She didn't see him roll his eyes. "'Dite, I had all the Shin-Ra with me! I would've been fine if you hadn't come and complicated things! Thanks to you and your sobbing bulk, my arm is broken!"

Aphrodite's sobs began, her tears streaming down her face like a river. "That's all I can do, is it…? I can only complicate things; never make them better… I shouldn't have gotten into the Turks…"

He heaved a sigh behind her. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself."

"Reno…" she whispered, her voice choked by her tears. "I killed two AVALANCHE members yesterday… I'm a murderer… How could I have…?"

Yet another sigh. "Stop it, 'Dite. Stop moping." His feet shuffled as he stood up. "You're not the only one who's sad around here."

Aphrodite mustered up her last ounce of courage and rolled over to gaze at him. His compelling eyes… those turquoise orbs were full of sorrow.

And suddenly…she remembered that woman…

"Reno," she murmured, gazing into his eyes thoughtfully. She swallowed her tears. "I met a woman in Sector 7 yesterday…with your eyes…"

Reno looked a bit confused, but then he lowered his eyes for a brief moment. "What'd she say?" He clenched his left fist and sat down on the edge of Aphrodite's bed.

She paused for a few seconds as he just looked at her with remorse in his eyes. What was he thinking…? "She said… 'Take care of my son'…"

And when Reno began to chew his lower lip and slump so low that now he lay on the edge of her bed, Aphrodite knew at once.

That woman…

She was…

"My mom."

His voice was rock-solid, but she knew that deep inside, he was crumbling. She reached out to him, her tears flooding her eyes again… His figure was a blur. "Oh, Reno…" She took his hand, her voice a soft murmur. "I'm sorry…so sorry…"

He made a strange noise. Was that a sob?

Aphrodite half-expected him to shove her away, but he accepted her touch, squeezing her hand. He was silent.

She nodded with mutual understanding. Reno had been there for her; now it was her turn to be there for him. She knew what it was like to lose something dear, even if Reno didn't seem to love his mother. Her voice was soft:

"It's okay to cry, Reno… I don't mind…"


	15. The Ancient Turk

**Author's Note:** I'm sorry for time it took for me to deliver another chapter! Laziness and lack of inspiration and desire to write may be at fault… For all of you here to read this story, enjoy this new chapter, and reviews would be appreciated (especially supportive, constructive ones). Note that the first little part of this chapter depicts a kind of dialogue between Aphrodite and a certain voice while she is asleep. I will try to upload Chapter 16 as soon as I can. Thank you all! 

**Chapter 15: The Ancient Turk**

"_**And you see, Sister, we are going to take the Promised Land for Mother! It is rightfully hers, not the wretched Planet's! We won't let anyone have the Promised Land; not Shin-Ra, not humans, not anyone."**_

"Shin-Ra? What does Shin-Ra have to do with the Promised Land?"

"_**Sister, you don't know? That is the true objective of that wretched company. They are trying to use that accursed Ancient to guide them to the Promised Land only to fill their pockets with gold! And I will not let them have the Promised Land, for it belongs to our Mother!"**_

"So that's the secret about Shin-Ra? And Mother…? That's silly, my mother is dead…"

"_**Silly child, that is not your mother. Jenova is the Mother of whom I speak. Your mother, my mother. Our mother. Hers is the voice that speaks when you think of giving in to your foolish, humanly impulses…She is the one who gave you life."**_

"My mother was not some ancient calamity who fell to the planet, all right? My mother was a good, dignified woman who cared for her two children… I'm not stupid…"

"_**Poor Sister, you are confused. Whose cells do you have forever multiplying within your hideous earthly body? Jenova is always there, Aphrodite. You can never escape her, and you can never escape me, the Great Sephiroth."**_

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Aphrodite, come look at this."

She went over to where Rude stood, at the giant glass window overlooking Midgar. She couldn't bear to see the sight…

"Sector 7…it's just a pile of rubble and debris now," murmured Aphrodite, placing her hand on the window. She could see her reflection in the glass, and she saw one of the saddest faces in Midgar. She and Rude stood thousands of meters above the ground, far away from the hell unleashed upon the sector, far away from the despair of the slum-dwellers. Cold, mundane walls of white and gray surrounded them: walls that promised them safety from the horrors of the world as long as they remained within the tower's boundaries. "Gone…"

Gone was Cobbler Boulevard, the land of "beautiful people" and "beautiful things" where Reno had taken Aphrodite the ugly slum rat on their "first date." Gone were Reno's home, the apartment they had occupied together for over a month, arguing frequently and yet enjoying the time and space they shared…and his mother, the very woman whom had given birth to the redhead that changed Aphrodite's life.

Rude turned his head, peering at her through dark glasses. "You really gave Reno a scare. He thought you were a goner." He frowned in disgust, shaking his head.

"I didn't mean to give him a hard time." She lowered her eyes. She really hadn't. She had acted upon irrational impulses, letting anger, fear, and worry guide her whilst hiding the guilt and shame about murdering two people who, according to them, were only trying to save the Planet. "What do you think of all this?"

He was silent.

Aphrodite sighed. "You're not really a talker, are you? Of course, I can't expect you to babble at a time like this…"

"Erm, excuse me!" squeaked a voice from behind them.

The two spun around, and Aphrodite stared in bewilderment at the speaker.

A tiny blonde woman in a Turk suit stood before them, anxiety clear in her bulbous brown eyes. She strode over, fiddling with her fitted jacket.

Rude and Aphrodite exchanged glances, but the giant bald man was silent. The latter arched a brow in curiosity. What an odd little woman. Was she the replacement?

"Um, um, hello, I'm Elena Pasteur, the new Turk recruit, erm, replacement?" The blonde sounded like she was asking a question instead of introducing herself. "You two must be, um, Rudolph Sigler and, um, Abigail Sanchez?"

"…Rude," corrected the bald man, nodding curtly.

Aphrodite quickly corrected this Elena girl. "It's Aphrodite Sorrows…nice to meet you." She forced herself to shake Elena's extended hand, plastering a weak smile onto her face. Rude made no effort to follow suit.

The little blonde woman smiled (hers seemed much more natural), brushing a stray lock of short hair from her large eyes. "Today's my first day on the job, and I'm so nervous, you see. And it's an awkward time to join the Turks, with Sector 7 being destroyed and all… That poor Reno guy. I heard he went through hell two days ago when he went to drop the pillar."

Boy, Elena sure did talk a lot… Rude was quite expressionless, and he was starting to look somewhat glazed, but somehow Aphrodite knew that he thought the same. He must have been itching to get away from the small blonde chatterbox.

"Well, at least we've got the Ancient. Thanks to Tseng, of course!" Elena nodded, her locks bouncing.

Aphrodite chewed her lower lip. The Ancient… Aeris.

"A…Afro…Afro-dy-tee, right? Is that how you pronounce it?" Elena made a funny tongue noise, rocking back and forth on the high heels of her boots. If she was tiny in her heels, Aphrodite could scarcely imagine her height without them.

The curly-haired Turk nodded at the blonde, tucking a curl behind her ear. "You can just call me 'Dite if you want. That's what Reno always calls me…" She sighed at her mentioning of the redhead's name. The doctors were keeping him in the infirmary, and Aphrodite had already been released. Her wounds hadn't been so bad, except for the traces of the swollen black eye and the five-year-old burn mark on her abdomen that had been irritated by the battle.

"All right, then. 'Dite. I like that!" Elena's eyes brightened, and Aphrodite wondered how she could be so cheery at a time like this.

"I'll be excusing myself," Rude grunted suddenly, and nodded at the two female Turks before retiring into his office.

Aphrodite scratched her head, staring after him. Apparently, Rude had grown weary of the replacement's incessant chatter and unwavering liveliness. "Someone's thong is on too tight."

Elena burst into a fit of giggles. "He's got a major bug up his butt!"

Aphrodite stared at the blonde for a moment, and couldn't help but giggle as well. Laughter really was contagious! Before long, the girls found themselves laughing over every silly little thing, whether it was a passerby with bright orange shoes or a misspelled word on a bulletin board.

"What are you two laughing at?"

They looked up to see Tseng striding up to them, and Aphrodite cleared her throat, ending the laughter. Elena turned a lovely shade of red.

"Nothing, sir," said Aphrodite, exchanging glances with Elena.

Tseng sighed, crossing his arms. "Elena, I need you to file some papers I've left in your office."

"Y-Yes, Tseng, I mean, sir!" Elena performed the Turk salute, her face flaming red. "See you, 'Dite," she smiled at said woman, and took her leave.

"Aphrodite," began Tseng, clearing his throat. The young woman braced herself for his following words. "You interfered with the mission to destroy Sector 7."

Aphrodite lowered her eyes in shame. "I know, sir…"

He sighed. "Usually, I'd penalize an employee for doing such a thing, but I'll let you go just this time. What you did was wrong, but you did it for the right reasons."

At this she looked up and stared at him wonderingly. How did he know…? "How did you—"

"Reno told me everything," he interrupted, his dark eyes fixed on Aphrodite's. "He was very upset. He cares a lot for you, Aphrodite. You worried him sick… He wouldn't stop shaking when he was here preparing for the mission, and I heard him arguing with you via PHS. You know, Reno's going to have to be in a wheelchair for a few weeks, because he can't walk with a broken arm and leg."

She bit her lower lip, feeling guilty. She shouldn't have gotten so angry at Reno that day. He was there, nervous and worried, and she had to go and yell at him for being a cocky bastard! And now he was going to be stuck in a wheelchair… Aphrodite slapped herself mentally for her errors. "I want to talk to him."

"You shouldn't. He said he wanted to be alone for now."

"Oh… I see…" Aphrodite's voice trailed off, and she grew quiet. Perhaps Reno needed time to reflect upon the past events. Surely, the loss of his home and his mother would affect him intensely, more so than Aphrodite. She understood that her friend required solitude, and she would willingly let him have it.

Tseng uncrossed his arms. "Well, we've got the Ancient now. If you're curious, you can go visit her on the 68th floor. You might find her rather personable. By the way, I haven't got any assignments for you now."

Aphrodite nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'll do that…" She sighed. "Thank you, Tseng." She began to walk away.

"Aphrodite?"

She turned around, giving Tseng a questioning look.

"Reno wanted me to thank you for letting him cry."

.-.-.-.-.-.

The 68th floor was quiet as a morgue. The odor of machinery and chemicals hovered stiff in the air. Hardly a soul roamed the laboratory. Aphrodite walked along the glass cylindrical tank where specimens were kept, and stared at the young woman sitting inside it.

The Ancient looked up, observing Aphrodite through the glass with curious emerald eyes. She tilted her head of braided milk-chocolate hair, her lips parted, and she spoke.

"You're Aphrodite, aren't you?"

The Turk's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Your eyes," she said. "Even though you look different, I still recognize you. We never really spoke to each other, did we?"

Aphrodite shook her head. "You're an Ancient. I always felt connected to you, yet somewhat intimidated."

Aeris's head remained tilted. "Intimidated? Why's that?"

She shrugged. "You seemed really in tune with the Planet."

The Ancient smiled. "I embraced my powers, but I always tried to hide them from the Shin-Ra. Nevertheless, I never hid them from myself."

Aphrodite bit her lip. She herself hadn't been as close to the Planet as Aeris. "I see."

"I'm here now because I exchanged myself for a little girl's safety." Aeris smoothed the skirt of her pink dress.

How noble. The Ancient seemed so…virtuous. So perfect that Aphrodite couldn't help but feel inferior. She tucked a curl behind her ear. "You know, I hear the Planet sometimes, too…but I hear Jenova as well. And I hear…the Great Sephiroth…"

Aeris's eyes brightened at the first half of Aphrodite's confession, but her smile faded at the mention of the calamity and her "son." "How are you able to hear them?"

Aphrodite lowered her eyes. At first she wasn't sure whether to tell the Ancient about the cells, but for some reason felt that she could trust Aeris, and decided to confide in her. "I was injected with Jenova cells five years ago."

Aeris looked solemn. "I'm sorry, that must have been terrible… What do Jenova and Sephiroth say?"

"They tell me of plans to take the Promised Land…to give it back to Mother…Sephiroth insists that Jenova is my mother, but my true mother died 5 years ago." She looked at her watch and pretended to look surprised. "Oh, look at the time, I should be going!"

Aeris was watching her with observant, thoughtful eyes. "All right…"

Aphrodite nodded. "Well, it was nice talking to you, Aeris. Goodbye, and be safe. Who knows what Hojo will do…"

As the Turk began to stride away, Aeris's voice called again. "Aphrodite?"

She stopped and turned around, waiting for the Cetra to speak.

Aeris smiled again. "I knew I wasn't alone… I knew all along that you're an Ancient, too…"

Aphrodite bit her lip. "Me? An Ancient?"

"Sure!" Aeris nodded. "Only the Cetra hear the voices of the Planet and their own kind. But you're different, because you hear Jenova and Sephiroth, too…"

She sighed. Well, now someone knew her secret. So how many Ancients were left now? Aeris Gainsborough, and Ares and Aphrodite Sorrows. She doubted the Shin-Ra executives knew about the other two survivors of the Cetra, and she would prefer it if they didn't. Aphrodite did not want to be subject to more experiments, and she did not want to be used, as well as her brother, in the company's mission for obtaining the Promised Land. "Please don't tell anybody. I don't want anyone to know."

Aeris nodded again, and Aphrodite knew she would keep her word. Somehow, she knew she understood. "I won't."

"Won't tell what to anyone, I wonder?"

The Turk spun around, and Aeris turned her head.

"Professor Hojo!"

Aphrodite stared nervously at the old man who observed them like specimens. Oh, no, had he been eavesdropping?

"Good day, girls… Ancient, are you keeping any secrets?" Hojo approached the glass tank, folding his hands behind his slouched, crooked back.

"No, Professor," interjected Aphrodite, with the feeling that Aeris didn't want to answer. The two brunettes exchanged glances and nodded.

Hojo peered at Aphrodite through bespectacled dark eyes. "Sorrows. Ah, I remember…the new Turk recruit. Don't you have work to do?"

"No, sir," said Aphrodite, shaking her head. "No orders at the moment."

Aeris watched them with concerned eyes. She trailed her long fingers on the blue glass of her cylindrical tank, her brows furrowed slightly.

Hojo glanced at the Ancient, and then returned his unblinking eyes to the Turk. "I was going over your blood work yesterday, Miss Sorrows, and I found something curiously strange."

Aphrodite gulped. "Strange, sir?" Could it be that evidence of Jenova or her race showed up in her blood?

The scientist cleared his throat. "Indeed." He peered at Aphrodite, his onyx eyes never moving from hers. "Miss Sorrows, I discovered millions of Jenova cells in your blood."

She gulped again and cast a frightened glance at Aeris. Sweat began to accumulate on her forehead, and she unconsciously picked at her nails. Oh, no… Dear Planet…

"I deduced that the Jenova cells had invaded your body several years ago, Miss Sorrows," snarled Hojo, narrowing his eyes. "And those cells have remained relatively inactive in your blood, save for moments of extreme emotional and physical stress."

Aphrodite bit her lip and glanced down at her watch. Extreme emotional and physical stress…? Could that thing—Jenova—have been the force that possessed her when she murdered the thugs from so long ago? The entity that influenced her when she killed Biggs and Jessie, the AVALANCHE members? The creature that gave her the wicked power to destroy her tank of mako all those years ago? Furrowing her brows, she gulped and looked up meekly. "I must go now… Goodbye, Aeris. Goodbye, Professor."

Hojo's eyes narrowed to mere slits, but he remained silent. Aeris waved without a word as Aphrodite hastily retreated from the laboratory into the specimens' elevator. She nervously began to nibble her nails as the elevator hummed. So, Hojo had found out about the Jenova cells… Now what if he wanted to use her for torturous experiments…?

Torturous experiments…!

Jenova cells…!

Aphrodite's eyes widened as an epiphany struck her, and finally she remembered.

Professor Hojo…_he _injected her with Jenova cells five years ago! _He _was the one who tortured her endlessly, who ordered her into a tank of mako… How could she have forgotten?

Of course, the mako… The mako had made her forget.

At last, she remembered Hojo, but this knowledge spawned yet another question: did Hojo remember _her_?

Hopefully, if no more reminding evidence came to him, he would not remember her as the little Cetra girl from Nibelheim. The girl who (along with her brother Ares) survived the great fire of Nibelheim and became a Sephiroth "clone." Aphrodite Galatea de Travere…

A beep suddenly announced the stop of the elevator on the 67th floor, rousing Aphrodite from her thoughts. As the Turk stepped into the laboratory, a man shoved her, and she looked up to scold him in annoyance.

She stared in shock at his spiky, chocobo-blond hair.

"C-Cloud?" she exclaimed, her jaw dropping.

He stopped, and so did the two people with him: a familiar short woman with long dark chocolate hair, and a giant black man with a gun-arm.

They all stared.

"How'd you know my name?" said Cloud warily.

"You're Cloud Strife of Nibelheim!" exclaimed the Turk, staring in wonder. "And you're…Tifa Lockhart?" She didn't recognize the other man, however. "Remember me? I'm Aphrodite! Aphrodite of Nibelheim!"

Cloud and Tifa stared blankly for a few moments, but then their eyes widened as if they had just realized something.

"Aphrodite de Travere?" inquired Tifa, tilting her head.

She nodded, but cringed at the usage of her former last name.

"Wow, you're alive… How'd you escape Shin-Ra Mansion?" Cloud asked, his mako-blue eyes were huge, and Tifa smiled, her own eyes bright. The giant dark teddy bear looked very surly, knitting his thick brows.

"A SOLDIER helped Ares and I escape," said Aphrodite. "But…what are you guys doing _here_?"

"That's a question we should ask you!" Tifa arched her eyebrows in curiosity. "We haven't seen you in years. We thought you and Ares were dead…!" She turned to their partner, the black man, and said, "Barret, this is Aphrodite, an old neighbor of ours from Nibelheim…"

"Cut the crap!" snapped the black man. So _this _was Barret Wallace, the infamous leader of AVALANCHE? The "terrorist group's" head honcho? "We got an Ancient to rescue!" His dark eyes narrowed in distrust at Aphrodite. "Cloud, Tifa, lookit her suit. She's one of the damn Shin-Ra!"

Aphrodite bit her lip, shrinking from them meekly as the huge man shoved her aside, dragging Cloud and Tifa into the specimens' elevator. Her childhood neighbors could only look at her with confused eyes and speechlessly parted lips as the elevator's doors closed.

And so those four survivors of Nibelheim's great tragedy had gone their own ways: Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart, now members of the anti-Shin-Ra group, AVALANCHE; Ares Sorrows, an impoverished, engaged man working and residing in the lowly slums of Sector 5; and lastly, his twenty-one-year-old sister, Aphrodite Sorrows…the Ancient Turk.


	16. Trail of Blood

**Author's Note:** At last, another update. This is a pivotal chapter in the story. And yes, I have taken some creative license with some events of the game's original story. This is fanfiction, after all; I promise I've done a decent job. I wouldn't like butchering this wonderful game's story either, so I have no reason to do so. Please review, and enjoy! Much love to you all.

**Chapter 16: Trail of Blood**

Aphrodite frowned at her cards, glancing shiftily from her hand to the pile of cards on the cheap wood table.

Elena raised her brows. "Nothing higher than King?" The three other Shinra employees they had been playing with watched Aphrodite expectantly. Two of them were secretaries who had temporarily abandoned their desks to play with the two Turks, and the other was a middle manager in a burgundy suit.

She looked up at them and shook her head meekly.

With a grin, Elena slammed her last card—an Ace—onto the pile and giggled, her hazel eyes bright. "Well, I'm the servant. Looks like you're the slut, 'Dite!"

"I hate this game!" she cried, throwing her pathetic hand of cards (consisting of primarily 3's, 6's, and 7's) on the table in frustration. "Let's play Spit. I am so much better at that game."

The Shin-Ra manager began to rise, and Elena opened her mouth to speak, but the P.A. halted them both, crackling to life.

"Attention, all Shin-Ra employees and visitors. This is President Shin-Ra. You no longer need to worry. AVALANCHE has been captured by the Turks and jailed on the 67th floor, as well as the two specimens that escaped from the laboratory…"

Aphrodite's eyes widened. _Two _specimens?

"Wow!" Elena's eyes were huge, and the two women, as well as the other employees, exchanged glances. "Looks like we don't have to worry about terrorists on the loose anymore!"

The Shin-Ra manager looked contemplative for a few seconds, and noticed Aphrodite's surprised expression. "That must have been them on the train… Those rowdy hooligans!"

She gave him an inquiring look.

In reply, the manager said, "I found a group of suspicious-looking folks on the train a few days ago, after the Sector 1 Reactor exploded; that giant black man would have pummeled me if it weren't for the buxom brunette who came to my rescue!"

Aphrodite furrowed her brows; his description of two of those people struck a familiar chord within her. A large black man and a "buxom brunette"… Hadn't she met them by the specimens' elevator just a few hours ago…?

.-.-.-.-.-.

"Man, 'Dite, I'm tired…" The redhead rolled over in his bed and looked up at Aphrodite, yawning.

She smiled and ruffled his messy bangs, removing his dark glasses and setting them on the nightstand as she smoothed the sheets and sat on his bed. "How are you feeling?"

"My arm's killin' me…" said Reno, glancing at his right arm, the one that hung in a sling. "The nurse said it'll be fine in a week or two…said it wasn't that bad, but it hurts like hell. My leg won't heal until a few weeks or so pass.

"I'm so sorry it happened to you, Reno," Aphrodite's smile faded. She tucked a short curl behind her ear and brushed a fiery-red bang from his face. "I wish I could just take your pain away."

He sighed. "Nothing you can do, 'Dite."

His turquoise eyes wandered to the white sleeveless nightgown she wore, one Elena had let her borrow. It was a bit tight on Aphrodite, considering Elena was more petite than her, but it was better than walking around in underwear. "Your strap's slipping again." Reno reached out and brushed it back onto her shoulder, his rough fingers trailing along her dry, pale skin.

Aphrodite grinned sheepishly, blushing. "Thanks."

His hand remained on her shoulder, stroking it gently. He didn't seem to mind the desert-like dryness of her skin. "'Dite, I heard you singing once."

Her eyes blinked at the spontaneity of the remark, and then widened in slight embarrassment. She liked to sing often while doing things like cooking or working; could he have heard her then? Oh, Holy. How humiliating! "W-When?"

He furrowed his brow, as if trying to remember something. "A little over a week ago…when you were cooking that horrible macaroni and cheese."

Her own brows rose, and her eyes remained wide. That macaroni was disgusting! She really was a terrible cook. "You heard me?! How embarrassing…"

"But why? You have a pretty voice," murmured Reno. He coughed, removing his hand at her reaction. "Not so loud, 'Dite! The nurse'll come in and kick you out, and then you'd have to sleep in a broom closet or something."

"Sorry…"

Shaking his head, Reno was silent for a while. He then tilted his head towards her. "'Dite, I know this is gonna sound stupid, but…"

"But what, Reno?" Aphrodite cocked an eyebrow, concerned.

"Well…" He trailed off and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he reopened them and gazed into Aphrodite's own eyes. "Could you…sing me to sleep? I won't be able to fall asleep with this aching arm…"

Had Aphrodite been in a more playful mood, she would have laughed at him and called him a pansy, but in this case, she did not, for she knew that he was not in the best of states. However, she was still shy about singing, and lowered her eyes, brushing a curl behind her ear.

"Please?" he pouted, enlarging his eyes and puffing out his lower lip in a uncharacteristically childish, pleading way. He seemed to regress to an earlier stage of his life, looking like a small, deprived child who was afraid of monsters disturbing his slumber and wanted his mother or sister to help him fall asleep peacefully.

"Gah, the puppy face! I can hardly resist…" A small grin curled the corners of her lips, and she edged a little closer to the redhead. "Fine, but I'm not doing this again!"

Reno just smiled. It was a rare sight: the Turk smiling, not smirking and flipping his bangs suavely. Noticing how nice his true smile really was, Aphrodite silently decided he should show it more often.

The young woman cleared her throat. "Okay, here goes…" She reclined next to him, leaning on her arm, and took a deep breath.

"_Good night, sleep tight; no more tears. In the morning, I'll be here…_"

Reno's eyes were smiling with appreciation. He sighed sleepily, as if the calming melody soothed him.

"_And when we say 'good night,' dry your eyes…"_

He was smiling again, his face lighting up like a child being sung to by his mother.

"_Because we said 'good night,' and not 'good bye'…"_

His eyelids slowly drooped as Aphrodite's soft, unpretentious voice lulled him to sleep…

"_We said 'good night,' and not 'good bye'…"_

Her plain, gentle voice faded into the tides of slumber as the lullaby ended…

"Good night, Reno," whispered, Aphrodite, leaning closer.

And as he slept, Reno thought he felt a pair of lips brush his forehead with a tender goodnight kiss.

.-.-.-.-.-.

"_**Wake up, wake up…"**_

She tossed and turned in her bed, whimpering at the sinister voice urging her to awaken.

"_**It is time… We must do away with the man who tries to steal the Promised Land from Mother…"**_

"No…no…" grumbled Aphrodite, grasping her white sheets as if she'd disappear if she let go. "Leave me alone, Sephiroth… Let me be…"

The evil voice cackled in her head. **_"Aphrodite, it is absolutely essential that you wake up. Take my sword, the Masamune…"_**

She bit her lip, squeezing her eyes shut. "Leave me alone!" She covered her ears, trying to ignore Sephiroth's voice. "I don't want to kill anyone!"

"_**So be it! If you will not rise to fulfill your duties, then I shall wake you myself!"**_

Aphrodite was numb; she began to lose her sense of self, and felt another soul invade her body. She tried to fight it off, but again, she proved herself to be the weak person that she was. The viral being took over her mind and body, and she lost herself.

Sephiroth had possessed her.

She opened her eyes and sat up, suddenly cold. She had nothing to shield her from this outer and inner frigidity except for Elena's nightgown.

The infirmary was dark, drafty, and silent.

Aphrodite stared emptily at the redhead sleeping on the bed adjacent to hers. His flat belly rose and fell with each deep breath, and his pale face was relaxed in his peaceful slumber.

She tried to remember that he slept so peacefully because she had sung him to sleep, but the sinister voice of this cackling being boomed in her mind, and consumed all thought.

"_**Forget him… He distracts you from your mission."**_

Aphrodite bit her lip, sliding out of her bed and rising.

"_**Hold out your hand and take the sword…" **_

She obeyed, and a katana of over 5 feet in length appeared in her left-hand. She stared at the sword emptily, gripping the hilt.

"_**Leave this room, girl, leave…"**_

She had no choice. Her bare feet shuffled as if they had minds of their own, and the mindless Aphrodite crept out of the infirmary, no longer watching the sleeping Reno.

Her slippers made soft patting sounds as Sephiroth forced Aphrodite to walk down a hall of the 67th floor. In her left hand, the Masamune scraped the stiff, freezing air.

"_Sephiroth_," in her mind, she tried to call out to the viral being possessing her, "_Why must you use me?"_

"**_Because you are the only remaining Cetra bound eternally to Mother and I," _**hissed Sephiroth's voice. **_"Why, you're just another of my clones. I could easily use any clone I wanted, but you're special. You have been searching for the Promised Land ever since you were born, and since you are bound to us—unlike your brother and the flower girl—your soul will guide us to the paradise we have sought for so many years…"_**

Aphrodite unconsciously ground her teeth.

"**_See that guard down the hall?"_** said the voice suddenly, changing the subject and seeming to assume that the discussion was over and she now agreed to her duties. **_"Kill him."_**

Her eyes focused on the guard in red who watched over the jail cells, and her feet pushed her down the hallway. The guard stood at the corner, his body turned away from Aphrodite and towards the jail cells.

"_**Now's your chance… Kill him! Now!"**_

Aphrodite bit her lip and gripped the sword with both hands, raising the Masamune just a yard or two away from the guard. Her hands shook. _No…_

Suddenly the guard swiveled around and stared at her in horror, his eyes the size of saucers. "What are you—"

He never finished his question, for Aphrodite thrust the Masamune deep into the guard's chest.

The possessed Aphrodite pulled the sword effortlessly from his chest as the shocked and bleeding man stumbled backwards. She stared at the guard emptily, watching him fall to his knees, then slump forward, flat on his face.

He was dead.

"**_Well done, Aphrodite, well done…"_** Sephiroth's nonchalant voice congratulated her. **_"Do me a favor and unlock the second door to your right."_**

Aphrodite had no choice but to obey. She kicked the guard's corpse aside and stopped in front of the second cell door. She raised a hand, and the mechanical door glowed crimson, sliding open.

She stared down at the cell's two occupants, but her mindless eyes could not recognize Tifa snoozing on the bed and Cloud snoring softly in the corner.

"_**Now, Aphrodite, Leave these vermin. Go back down this hallway and turn the corner. Mother awaits us in the laboratory…"**_

Aphrodite stood, dumbfounded for a moment. Her pupils dilated. Mother… Jenova… "Yes, Mother… Mother wants to be freed. Mother _must_ be freed…"

Who were these words coming from? Her voice… it didn't sound like her voice. Somehow she heard a man in her voice… Sephiroth?

As the possessed young woman trudged through the corridors, she looked to her left and her eyes fell upon a tall mirror on the wall. But the reflection, the person who looked back at her in the mirror, was not Aphrodite.

It was a tall, silver-haired, and green-eyed man in a black cloak, holding the Masamune treacherously in one hand.

-.-.-.-.-.-

Gripping a bleeding Masamune, the clone arrived at the 67th floor laboratory. Aphrodite looked behind her to see a bright crimson trail of blood. The mark of murder…

The mark of a possessed clone.

"Mother…" whispered the woman, once again hearing Sephiroth's voice instead of her own as she crept to the tank where Jenova was stored. She placed a hand on the door, staring blankly at the window that filtered a flowing lavender light, trailing her blood-stained fingers on the glass…

"_**Open the door! Free our mother at last!"**_

Aphrodite's fingers trembled violently as she pointed at the bolts that secured the door. The iron bolts fell out, one by one, onto the floor, clanging against the tile.

At last, the door opened, and the blinding purple light exploded in Aphrodite's face.

"**_Oh, Mother," _**whispered Sephiroth in her mind. **_"At long last, she is free! And now we shall gather the rest of the mindless clones for your Reunion…"_**

Aphrodite covered her eyes, the Masamune falling from her hand and clashing against the floor. The clanging of its steel echoed in her head. She couldn't bear to look at the evil creature that came before her, like a divine apparition ready to welcome her into paradise…

-.-.-.-.-.-

"_**There he sits, Aphrodite!"**_

She lingered in the bloodied stairway, watching the man working at his desk on the 70th floor. Aphrodite gripped the Masamune lifelessly as Sephiroth spoon-fed her instructions.

"_**Aphrodite, he plans to take the Promised Land away from us, and I cannot allow that… The Promised Land belongs to Mother and I. He must be dealt with immediately…"**_

She stared back at the working man ahead, her lips parted. "I must do away with the thief…" She did not recognize her whispering voice.

"_**There, that's a girl…"**_

Her nightgown swayed gently as her feet carried her to the 70th floor, and she watched the oblivious man working at his desk.

Absolute silence.

"_**Go, go in for the kill! Teleport behind him…"**_

Aphrodite didn't know she could do it, but the supernatural power from within awakened. She vanished and reappeared behind the fat man.

Standing behind him and his desk, her hands gripped the Masamune again, and she held it up above the President ominously, ready to strike…

She froze.

_What the hell am I doing?!_

"_**What are you doing, child? Go! Impale him!"**_

Now it was no longer just Sephiroth's voice, but both his and Jenova's.

"_No, my child! More murder?!"_

Another voice broke through the din of her evil masters, an ironically calm, soothing voice yelling in panic.

"P-Planet…" whispered Aphrodite, completely frozen in mid-attack. Sephiroth's hold on her began to weaken. "Sephiroth…Jenova…Mother…Planet…"

In the midst of her internal struggle, her target suddenly jumped, swiveling about the stare up at her.

"What the—!" exclaimed the King Vermin, his evil blue eyes wide in horror. "Sephiroth?!"

"**_Fool!"_** rasped the dual voice of Sephiroth and Jenova. **_"Kill him already! Ignore the foolish Planet!"_**

"_No, my child!"_

Aphrodite's blood boiled…with the cells of Jenova and the spirit of the Planet…of the Cetra… She could take no more.

"What are you—" The fat man was about to reach for the button to call security when Aphrodite kicked his rolling chair, spinning her target around.

"I won't let you have the Promised Land!" shrieked Aphrodite, in a voice not her own. The anger and fear and sorrow and frustration boiling up inside of her finally exploded and a blood-curdling scream echoed from her throughout the Shin-Ra building as Aphrodite Sorrows drove the Masamune into President Shin-Ra's back.

"**_Well done, my puppet!"_**

"_No, no, my child… The Calamity and her son have stolen you from me…"_

"**_I have no more need for you now, girl. You're risky business… Mother's own body will be more willing to do my bidding than your filthy one. Now I'll leave you here, soaked in blood!"_** The hell-bound voice cackled in her head. The Ancients wept in her heart, and the Planet mourned in her soul.

And suddenly the presences of Sephiroth and Jenova vanished, leaving Aphrodite alone with the manifestation of her sins.

The President of Shin-Ra, Inc. was dead.

Aphrodite blinked, her vision refocusing. "Where am I?" She could hardly distinguish the softness of her voice. She inclined her head, and froze at the sight of the President's corpse.

"Oh my God, oh my God…" Her voice shook, and so did her hands when she held them up to herself.

Blood…

She looked down at herself to see fresh blood staining her nightgown, just like the white carnation she had once worn, the one that had turned to red from her blood.

Nothing could describe the horror on Aphrodite's face. Her skin was deathly pale, save for her bleeding funeral flowers, and her Mako-tinted eyes were no longer empty, but full of terror. Her hands shook violently and she stared in revulsion at herself, then at the red-suited corpse.

"I… I killed… the P-President… the President of Shin-Ra…Inc…" her meek voice quavered. The power, strength, and evil it contained when Sephiroth possessed her were gone. She could not stop shaking. "Murderer…"

What if someone was watching? Was the surveillance camera working? She had no idea, but she had to get out of here…fast.

Aphrodite hardly noticed her heavy weeping and sobbing as she left the dead President at his desk, breaking into a mad dash out of the 70th floor.

She ran and ran down flights and flights of stairs, crying the whole way. She didn't know where she was going, but she continued to sprint through corridors and staircases, the slap of her blood-stained feet against the cold floor and the wild rustling of her bloody nightgown echoing off the walls.

The voices resonated within her mind, leaving a deep scar… Sephiroth and Jenova… the Planet… the Ancients…

Aphrodite escaped into a facility that doubled as both a locker room and a laundry room on a floor she did not know the number of. Biting her lip, she peeled off her nightgown and underwear, tossing the bloody articles of clothing into a nearby washing machine. She mashed random buttons on the panel, added detergent and bleach, and left the machine to churn and clean her clothes as she dove into a shower.

Her whole body trembled as she yanked on the hot water switch and reached for the soap, the stench of blood and death emanating from her bare, filthy figure. "Oh, Planet… How could I have… gone against you again…?" She sobbed as she scrubbed and the hot, steamy water poured on her, cleansing Aphrodite of her blights and melding with her tears.

The drops of water would wash away her outer stains, the evidence of her crime...but they would never cleanse Aphrodite of the evils and scars, of her inner demons… Never.


End file.
